Robert Reich on What We Can Learn from the Occupy Movement

Caught up in the current economic crisis and daily barrage of bad news, too many Americans are falling into what Martin Seligman (1992) has called “learned helplessness.” We spend much of our time complaining, blaming, and worrying—what psychologists call “ruminating”—which only makes matters worse.

For our own mental health and the health of our country, we have to believe that we can make a difference. As Robert Reich explains in his new e-book, Beyond Outrage, we need to reclaim our power as citizens.

We can build our power in the same way marathon runners build their strength and stamina: beginning with short runs, then working up to greater distances. As Reich explained in a recent interview, “All great leaders of social movements have understood the importance of small victories for giving people a sense of power. So the immediate goal is to generate a series of small victories that come out of organizing and mobilizing.” As the Tao Te Ching reminds us, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Reich finds hope in the Occupy Movement, which has “in a relatively short time, put the issue of concentrated wealth and power on the front pages of almost every newspaper in the land, and framed the debate about where the nation is heading.” He notes that “even President Obama has taken up the cause and proclaimed it the ‘key issue’ of the 2012 campaign.” We can build on this momentum, he says, by continuing to take action: “if Occupiers came in large numbers all over the country on May 1, to demonstrate against the concentration of wealth and power in America at the very top, that would be news. And that news can generate more mobilization and organization.” Another newsworthy action Reich recommends would be “if people took seriously my proposed ‘Corporate Pledge of Allegiance’ and let it be known they would patronize companies that signed it.” (See http://robertreich.org/post/12517879252)

So what can you and I do now to begin building our power as citizens? As Reich explains in his

e-book, Beyond Outrage, we can join together with others to begin restoring the grassroots democracy that sustains our nation. Working together with like-minded people is energizing, empowering, and brings us hope. Then, he says we can “make a list of short-term and long-term objectives—always within the larger frame of taking back the U.S. Economy and reclaiming our democracy—and be willing to revise.” We can “plan short-term and long-term strategies” and reach out, first to groups in our communities, then nationally to build a powerful network for positive change.

It’s time to stop ruminating and start making a difference. As Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

References

Reich, R. Beyond outrage: What has gone wrong with our democracy and how to fix it. Random House Digital. New York, NY: Knopf, 2012.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1992). Helplessness: On development, depression, and death. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman. Originally published 1975.

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Diane Dreher is a best-selling author, personal coach, and professor at Santa Clara University. Her latest book, about living with greater power and purpose, is Your Personal Renaissance: 12 Steps to Finding Your Life’s True Calling.

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