Why Individual Action:
The Breakthrough

Last Update: 8 Aug, 2022

This is why Individual Action so Important:

• Group activism has often been thwarted by the leadership. There are so many ways that activism which waits on a group leader's help or permission can be thwarted to prevent action of the entire group. It is very sad because the character of one person can prevent action by many willing people. Examples of how include such things as: complacent leadership (whose heart is not to change the world), misinformed leadership, leaders' fears that incentives might be withdrawn (for example, in some countries, charities have tax-exempt status only so long as they don't challenge the Government), personally threatening the leadership, or infiltration into leadership of positions of people whose heart is for the other side. Unfortunately, the enemies of good seem to know this and seem to strive to get into positions not only of social power, but positions where they can misdirect groups purposed for good and thereby prevent those within that group from doing anything.

  Only if your concept of activism doesn't depend on a leader's help or permission to do something can you avoid this hinderance.

• Many forms of action work just as well individually-based as group-based. For example, if individual voters would recognize a serious moral responsibility for their vote, and refuse to vote their implied consent for certain things to continue, and voice their objection to their political representative when things are wrong, we would have a bettere world.

• Individual activism is much more difficult for Governments to suppress than group activism. With group activism, they simply focus on stopping the ringleaders to stop the entire group. It makes it easy.

• Individual activism is the strongest foundation for group activism. Which has more morale: an activist group doing something just because their leader told them to, or doing something because they want to do it and the group is a convenient way to facilitate it.

• Individual activism allows the best ideas, clearest truth, and the most talented people to shine. Group-based leadership tends to restrict the ideas and truth to just those of the leadership. When, for example, were individuals given the chance to speak at your religious organization's service? Individual action opens things up so anybody with something to say a way to say it.

• Individual action most closely follows the divine order. God didn't make human hieracrchical institutions (except for parents being in charge of their children). God judges everyone as responsible for their own decisions. In the eyes of God, the excuse of following the community and even religious leaders you chose to follow is irrelevant, because even if they lead you wrong, it was your choice to follow them. Neither does the teaching of community institutions, such as them being God's choice for you and that you must obey them, are your choice to believe or not and do not absolve you of responsibilty for your own actions.