Don't wait for the ideal issue
There's no such thing.
If you wait for the "perfect" issue - the one that rings true to the
very toes of your being, the one that will do pure good for all without
any risk of problems - before doing anything, you will end up spending
your entire life waiting, not actually doing anything.
There is no such things as perfect. It's silly to even try to
search for such things. There is always going to be a problem with
everything. However, you have to weigh things. Sometimes the possible
goods outweight the possible bads. Other times they don't. It's up to
you to see what speaks to you.
So, how do you know if an issue is right for you? Determine if the
issue means anything to you, if you'd like to see the situation improve.
A lot of choosing an issue has to do with instinct - does it seem right to
you? If you're still not sure, try it out and see what happens. If you
like it, stick with it. If not, move on.
The more you work, the more you will learn about the issue. Thus, you
will have a better clue as to whether the issue is right for you.
Also, as work work, you learn more about sub-issues and related
issues to the one you're working with. You can move yourself around
within the domain of activism until you find your niche. For example,
you may feel partial towards improving conditions within ghettos. Once
there, you may decide that getting poor people to vote is where your
passion is. Thus, you will start working towards voter registration
campaigns and getting people to the polls, and move away from organizing
towards getting help from landlords. This is certainly an important
issue, but it is not where you choose to devoted your time. If everyone
finds a niche that's right for them, it will all get done, even though
no one is doing it all.
Related Pages
Cash in on the great feeling you get
The Perfect Standard and why it's bad
It's OK to be a "one issue person"
It's all interrelated
So you're ready to get involved
Please mail any comment or suggestions to kerig@sas.upenn.edu
