You can only fight evil as the person you really are
When youāre fighting evil, itās important to be aware of your limitations. You can only fight evil as the person you really are. Trying to ignore your limitations will not make you a better activist ā it just crushes you.
Fighting evil is a lot of hard work. Itās not just about being a good person, or caring, or having the right values. Mostly, itās work. And no one has infinite capacity to do that kind of work.
In fact, no one has infinite capacity to do *any* kind of work. As human beings, weāre limited. We have bodies, and needs, and we canāt do everything. Trying to work flat out all the time doesnāt end well, no matter how important the work is. Ā
One of the things we need is love. Part of that is being aware that not everything is evil. Some things are good. Some things are amazing. Some things are important in other ways. And, no matter what, people matter, and our world is worth fighting for.
Fighting evil is incredibility emotionally draining. In order to fight evil, itās generally necessary to come into close contact with it. And to face the fact that not everyone is on your side, and not everyone means well. Many people act with active malice or callous indifference. It can be very hard to keep going when you lose an important battle and feel the weight of the consequences. It can be very hard to avoid slipping into despair. Love is one of the most powerful defenses against despair.
It is not only ok but *necessary* to find things that you can value and enjoy. Valuing your own life and the things you enjoy is an important act of resistance. Keep in mind that one of the lives youāre fighting for is your own. You are worth fighting for.
You may have to do hard, draining things that no one should ever have to do. You may have to make sacrifices. You may need to learn how to do things you never thought youād need to do. But you donāt have to do more than youāre capable of doing ā and trying to ignore all of your feelings and limitations will not help.
Understanding your limitations actually makes you more effective (at activism and at anything else you might want to do.) Working with your brain and body works better than trying to become a superhero through sheer force of will. You can only fight evil as the person you actually are.
