“Floundering around, learning by doing but also by failing, is not only good but inevitable.” Quote by Duncan Green
“Some kinds of activists are more willing to try stuff out, see if works and think on their feet, but some of the people who are working on [change] find that very difficult: They've been schooled into thinking you have to come up with the perfect plan in advance. It has become a bit technocratic.” PeopleIfsThinkingTryingKindStuffBitsDifficultPerfectPlansFeetWillingCome UpActivistSchooledWilling To Try Author:Duncan Green
“In the end, that's a blind alley - we have to get back to being able to think on our feet and react.” ThinkingEndsAbleFeetBlindGet BackAlleys Author:Duncan Green
“I keep coming back to the phrase "Dance with the system" - not just march onwards no matter what happens.” MatterHappensNo Matter WhatPhrasesMarchComing Back Author:Duncan Green
“People think there's a single solution to complex problems, and the solution is often making an enemy of a group of people - pulling back and rejecting the other.” PeopleThinkingProblemEnemyGroupsSolutionsComplexesPullingRejectingComplex Problems Author:Duncan Green
“There's a diversion between economic reality - integration, global village, everybody depending on everybody else - and cultural reality, which is people feeling invaded, undermined, threatened, wanting to have "stand-your-ground" legislation all over the place. It's alarming because at the moment, the fear is outweighing the benefits, and that's partially because the benefits have been so unequally distributed that lots of people don't feel better off. They feel threatened, angry and despairing.” PeopleFeelsHas BeensMomentsFeelingsRealityEconomicBenefitsAngryVillageFeel BetterLegislationThreatenedIntegrationBetter OffDiversionGlobal VillageStand Your Ground Author:Duncan Green
“What you don't do is just say, "I've got all the ideas and all the knowledge, and listen to me."” IdeasListen To Me Author:Duncan Green
“Activists can get very preachy about things. It's more about understanding people's own experiences and tapping into them.” PeopleUnderstandingActivistTapping Author:Duncan Green
“The question, "When did you last listen to a poor person properly and try to understand what's going on inside their own experience?" enables you to connect.” TryingPersonsLastsPoor Author:Duncan Green
“Often we're having an argument with something imaginary - a fixed idea of the "enemy" and the good. We need to get beyond that and actually develop a deep curiosity about people and systems and understand them better.” PeopleNeedsIdeasEnemyArgumentCuriosityFixedImaginary Author:Duncan Green