How change happens Seth’s blog

Slowly then simultaneously

For those who are not paying attention or are actively involved, it may seem that cultural change is sudden. One big shift after another.

In fact, cultural change has always been relatively slow. Person by person, conversation by conversation. Expectations are established, roles are defined, systems are created.

From the Foundation

People in the news and on stage get all the attention, but they are a symptom, not usually a cause. Everyday people are not below, they are the origin, the foundation, the source of culture. We are culture, and we change it or change it by it.

Peer to peer

Change occurs horizontally. What do we expect from others? What are we talking about? Whom do we imitate or follow or support? What becomes of the regular type?

People like us do this kind of work.

Day by day, week by week, year after year.

Going to protest day by day, working of relaxation, leaning towards urgency to emergency – this is how those who trade day in our culture are whipped. But those who are constantly and actively changing culture are not easily confused. One more short action, one more conversation, one more value established.

The internet wants us to focus on what happened five minutes ago. Culture understands that what happens in five years is important.

Focused, continuous community action is how systems change. And systems integrate and enforce cultural norms.

If you care, keep talking. Keep acting. Be careful. And don’t be upset.