Social Change Is Not A Werewolf
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The mythology around silver and silver bullets spans back to the ancient Greeks. Silver was highly regarded for its magical powers, but once it was put into bullet form it was seen as a weapon against even the most intimidating foe - like werewolves. Fast forward to the early 1900s and silver bullets started to take on a different meaning - a simple solution to a complex problem. And that is how the phrase continues to be used to the detriment of us all.
The belief that there is one solution, one action, one pathway that will lead us to the desired outcome is fallacy. Maybe it’s that we’re addicted to convenience and fast results - I mean that’s what the entire diet industry is based on. From fast food to pharmaceuticals, coming up with that next quick solution to a complex problem is pervasive in almost every aspect of our society. And generally, those simple solutions create a new set of problems.
Social change requires influencing many complex systems all at once. There is no possible way to predict the outcome or timeline. And that is also a hopeful feature of change - the decision is never written in stone.
So it makes it difficult to shift expectations about what is possible and over what timeframe when I engage with others through advocacy work. Like it or not, our entire world, our bodies, our social structures, our governments are complex, interdependent systems. They have millions of inputs and outputs and sometimes they don’t respond in the way that we want them to as quickly as we’d like them to.
Getting into the advocacy space there is always a high risk of burnout because people have expectations that together we will find that one action, that one event, that one leader that will be the remedy for our woes. We’re constantly looking for that silver bullet whether we want to admit it or not.
I see it when people ask me - “Will this work?”, “Is this the most effective thing to do?”, “Will this change their minds?”, “Just tell me the thing that will change this?”, “If only we could get x (insert famous person, large media outlet, influential person), to help us, then this would all change”.
And I really don’t like being the bearer of bad news, but I think it’s important to set realistic expectations - to understand that all ideas, tricks, tactics, media and influential people will have an impact. What that impact will be is hard to know. It’s a series of actions and reactions to the impact. It’s a cycle that is unpredictable. Therein lies the challenge. Social change requires influencing many complex systems all at once. There is no possible way to predict the outcome or timeline. And that is also a hopeful feature of change - the decision is never written in stone.
I hear people say - “What can you do? This is a done deal.” There is no possible way to predict and science will tell us that the more complex the system is, the less likely our predictions will be accurate. It’s a part of what gives me hope. While odds may be stacked, there is no accuracy in our predictions that this is a “done deal”. Only giving up increases those odds.
The absence of a silver bullet leaves space for many actions, many influences, many tactics and strategies to have an impact. There’s no perfect solution or perfect action - this allows for a broad range of ideas and actions. It leaves space for collaboration, experimentation, curiosity and community building.
Abandoning the silver bullet mentality releases perfectionist expectations and opens the door for anyone to participate in the way that feels good to them. Theories of change can be written, strategic plans can be formulated, but in the end these are just best guesses. What’s most important is that people stay committed, persistent and caring for the long haul supported by others that will journey with them. We can build those things now and leave the silver bullet to urban legend.
