The Perfect Standard and why it's bad
At Saint Benedict College in northern Minnesota, a half dozen
students slept out in makeshift cardboard shelters to dramatize the
plight of America's homeless. "Lots who passed by treated us like a
slumber party," one participant recalled. "They acted like we were so
cute, then when we kept on for a couple days they began to get annoyed.
One girl yelled, "Homeless people don't have blankets." I was half
asleep and told her, 'Yes they do. They have blankets and friends. They
just don't have homes.' She looks like she'd only be satisfied if we
stood outside and got soaked in the freezing rain.(Loeb,
1994, p. 36)
This is my favorite example of the Perfect Standard in action. The
Perfect Standard is the belief that every person involved with every
activist cause must be perfectly knowledgeable about the cause and must
make every movement with all of her ideals towards this one goal in mind.
(Loeb, 1994, p. 36-37) This belief is quite dangerous, because perfection
is an abstract that cannot be reached. If no one can be perfect, how can
anyone ever pass the test of the Perfect Standard. If no one can pass the
test, nothing will ever the done.
So, the first thing to do is to throw the Perfect Standard out of the
window in terms of your own work. No, you're not going to know
everything; no one is. Sometimes, I think the advocates of the Perfect
Standard were weaned off of Sesame Street too early. No one is
perfect!! Remember that. On the other hand, it is good to
recognize the Perfect Standard, so that you can see it in others. When
you do see it, challenge it.
Perfection aside, yes, it is useful and important to be knowledgeable
about the issue you're interested in.
A lot of what you learn comes from working itself. Say you're
interested in environmentalism, but you know nearly nothing about it.
That's fine. Go to a meeting. At the meeting, you will learn from those
who have been there longer. If you dont' know, ask. Most people would
be glad to inform you, especially if it means you might help their cause
in the future. Simply being around environmentalists can make you much
more aware of environmental issues. If you go to a demonstration, take
a flyer for yourself and read it through. What you learn depends on your
surroundings. Your activism and your quest for knowledge will feed off
off each other as you become more informed and more involved.
Sometimes, this immersion/osmosis tactic doesn't work as quickly as you
would like. If that's the case, research your issue. Go to a bookstore
and pick up a book on an issue you've been thinking about. Learn what
others have to say on the topic. There's usually a section in bookstores
for current events. This is a good place to start. Remember, you don't
have to read every page, but if you have some sort of a background in an
area, you can speak about it more clearly, and you will be able to follow
the nuances of it better.
Also, make use of the internet. Get yourself on listservs and follow
web pages to stay informed. The information is there, but you have to
go out and grab it. Just don't think you need to know it all to get started.
Related Pages
The work of each individual helps
Don't wait for the ideal issue
It's OK to be a "one issue person"
Get as involved as you can
It's all interrelated
So you're ready to get involved
Please mail any comment or suggestions to kerig@sas.upenn.edu
