Why I'll never be famous: the myth of the mass movement

This post by the always excellent John MIchael Greer explains why mass movements fail. I can't recommend the article highly enough. Here's an excerpt:

"Now it's easy to insist that getting people in the door is the important thing, and once they're in the movement they can be led gradually to more accurate views. The history of mass movements shows otherwise with depressing consistency. The leaders who imagine themselves drawing the masses step by step to some better set of beliefs and behaviors generally find out the hard way, as their predecessors did, that they are the ones who will be drawn step by step into whatever set of beliefs and behaviors will maximize the size and influence of the movement they head '“ which amounts to whatever set of beliefs and behaviors the masses want them to have."-John Michael Greer

Read the whole thing! You won't be disappointed and if you learn something about resource limits and the likely future of our society, it's all to the good:

www.energybulletin.net/53219

Oh man, that brings up so many thoughts. I work with executives in heavy industry so I see what Greer is talking about every freakin' day.

Good find.

Makes one think/question when a group/budding movement tries to "expand their reach" to get access to a wider audience.

It certainly challenges the myth of one heroic man/woman changing the course of history by sheer persuasive power.

Heavily endorse the read.

Found this interesting short video at www.ted.com .

Is this what is happening here? Because it seems like more and more people are getting with it and going for it.

www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

Notice that the dancing dude is providing LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE.

That's quite different from trying to convince everyone that they're wrong and you're right.

Right on! Love that article.

The thing Greer is talking about in that quote is to basically put the cart before the horse. Increasing the size of the group should never come before cultivating the meaning of the group, or the meaning of the group will be lost, plain and simple. Besides, if someone wants a lot of followers, there's always twitter or myspace....

This brings to mind an article that's been discussed in several talks at my zen group:
www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08macdonald.html

Though I don't think Kenneth will ever need to worry about this. Just make sure you're taking vacations, Kenneth, and perhaps observing some sort of Sabbath day. ;p
(just to clarify, the above link is to an op-ed piece responding to an article about "clergy burnout" which came to the conclusion that they don't take enough vacations)

The last few months, I've found myself checking out the tabloids at the supermarket-- the glossier, more mainstream ones that obsess over 'stars' and 'celebrities'. My conclusion, so far, is that 'fame' is a really expensive proposition, leaving the famous at the mercy of those who make them so-- the lowest common denominator. And all those faceless people who lift you up can turn aside and let you drop-- or, worse, relish tearing you down to prove that you're not REALLY any better, or important, than they are.

Seems like one of those 'be careful what you wish for' kinda deals.