Principled Protests: A Guide to Influencing Without Alienating

Science that will help an avalanche of protestors do better

You've seen the headlines. Gaza protests at universities. Russian invasion of Ukraine. Really old men running for president. Culture war issues from “What is a woman?” to “Is meritocracy is a bad word?” to “What’s the effectiveness of a colorblind approach for addressing race?” It's clear we're living in a time of rebellion, a time where voices are rising up, demanding to be heard. But how do you rebel effectively - especially when lacking power/status?

How to Lose Friends and Influence Nobody

For ideas to evolve and societies to progress, I argue it's vital to cultivate principled rebels. Those who who are willing to go against the stream, to challenge conformity and question conventional ideas. But to do so from a place of heart - to practice rebellion in ways that are generative (vs. destructive). This type of authentic insubordination is fueled by a motivation to contribute to the greater good.

I've spent years diving deep into 60 years of research, unearthing the science of effective rebellion (read the book - here). This isn't just theory. This is about curating high-quality ideas through critical thinking. This is about becoming a more persuasive messenger such that your voice is heard and amplified in a biased, attentionally challenged society.

Gather a wide range of psychological resources from my conversation on The Courageous Life below. Share it with your social world. It's time to get riled up, to stand up, and to make a meaningful, healthy difference. Let's do this.

Here are some highlights from The Courageous Life conversation:

• Understanding the positive and negative influences of social pressure

• Strategies for influencing the majority (when in the minority) including inviting curiosity vs. inciting fear

• Why being open about experiencing discomfort reduces defensiveness, increases compassion, and helps rebellious ideas to be heard. 

• Ways to skillfully work with feelings that arise when trying to rebel

• Creating conditions for dissent, critical thinking, and productive conversations

• Why dissent is the ultimate protection against conformity mistakes

• The importance of creating mechanisms for gathering diverse voices

• Lessons from Nelson Mandela on winning graciously

Enjoy!

---

Extra Curiosities:

1. Did you know that in the 21st century, 2-4% of the 2.8 million who die each year in the United States went unclaimed? Approximately 114,000 Americans die with nobody claiming their body and thus, there is no ceremony, no love, nothing but a cremated body being shoved into a small patch of land somewhere with nary a marker that they existed. Who are these people? How does this happen in such a prosperous, super power of a nation? What does our approach to death say about our values? What do we owe our fellow humans in life and in death? Deep freaking questions that are explored through some emotionally fraught biographical stories that will hit you hard. I cannot believe that nobody is discussing the mind-blowing book, The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels. You know how there are often 1-star Amazon reviews for a book that say - this should been an article because they keep repeating the same point chapter after chapter? This is the opposite. The level of research and stories puts many authors to shame (me included). Reading this motivates me to become a better writer.

   Get a copy. Let me know what you think afterwards. Do not skip the very painful chapter on abandoned babies. We must push ourselves to first, notice problems, second, sit with them, and third, find better solutions. Even when it hurts. A perfect complement to my conversation above.

---

Todd B. Kashdan is an author of several books including The Upside of Your Dark Side (Penguin) and The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively (Avery/Penguin) and Professor of Psychology and Leader of The Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University.

Read Past Issues Here Including: