Principles of Activism 4: Non-sacrificial activism
by Joseph Rowlands
A question that has come up often in the past is whether activism is even compatible with a morality based on self-interest. Isn't activism a kind of sacrifice? Aren't you throwing away your happiness to try to improve the lives of others? If someone dedicated his life to "the cause", wouldn't he be betraying the very ideas he's trying to promote?
There is a standard conception of activism that is full of sacrifice. Many activists outside of Objectivism pride themselves in their willingness to sacrifice everything to make a difference. Sometimes you see it among Objectivists as well. I've seen Objectivists who dream of being a martyr. More often you see people avoiding any form of activism in order to avoid sacrificing.
For some time, I've promoted a different kind of activism that doesn't rely on sacrifice. Non-sacrificial activism is a way of pursuing your own goals in a way that has a positive activist impact. This form of activism is not only compatible with rational self-interest, but it can be very rewarding.
One example that comes to mind is writing articles. Writing an article really solidifies your knowledge. Even writing an outline of an article doesn't do the trick. When you've written it clearly and polished it for others to read, you've gone through the effort of really trying to understand the idea so you can communicate it. While others benefit from your insights, you benefit from really solidifying your thoughts. You also get better at writing and communication, you get constructive feedback, you can see how well you actually communicated, and you can get very rewarding praise for your efforts. And of course, you have the knowledge that your piece may contribute to the kind of world you want to live in.
For myself, working on the Importance of Philosophy website was a huge gain. It did take a lot of work, but by trying to present the ideas in a clear and integrated way based on a theme of why philosophy is important, I learned the philosophy very well. I'm more readily able to apply the ideas to my own life and much quicker at seeing implications. As part of a cooperative venture with Jeff Landauer, I spent a bit of time discussing the ideas and trying to resolve differences in our understanding.
So one benefit non-sacrificial activism can aim at is a more solid understanding of ideas. Another possible gain is in the area of one's social needs. While being involved in Objectivism, I've met some great people and made a number of friends. You can achieve this kind of benefit through general participation in activism.
A more direct approach to gaining social values is starting or participating in a local club. Luke Setzer has promoted the many kinds of values you can gain from participating in a local group. This is a powerful form of non-sacrificial activism. You gain a lot while creating a way for others to also gain immediate value from being an Objectivist.
There are so many other forms of non-sacrificial activism. You can make money by creating products. You can convince others around you to accept these basic ideas, creating a friendlier environment. You can meet like-minded friends and even romantic partners. In countless ways you can contribute to spreading Objectivism while directly benefiting from your actions.
This is the kind of activism we should pursue. Not only is it consistent with a morality of self-interest, but it also leaves the participants satisfied with the results. We don't have to rely on a person's masochism and willingness to sacrifice everything for meager results. We only have to show them how they can benefit from it.
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