The Politics of Contempt: When Belonging Becomes Blindness
"The sorting we do to ourselves and to one another is, at best, unintentional and reflexive. At worst, it is stereotyping that dehumanizes. The paradox is that we all love the readymade filing system. It’s so handy when we want to quickly characterize people. But, yet we resent it when we’re the ones getting filed away." — Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness Over the past 15 years, American political life has become increasingly shaped by insulation, caricature, and contempt
Don Schweitzer
Jun 34 min read
Coalitions Are How Values Become Outcomes
Stop settling for the comfort of affirmation. True advocacy isn't a popularity contest; it’s the gritty, integrity-based discipline of building coalitions with the "other" to turn shared values into systemic outcomes.
Don Schweitzer
Mar 258 min read
Certainty Under Pressure:
How Moral Closure Undermines Justice Work "If a movement is to have an impact, it must belong to those who join it—not those who lead it." — Simon Sinek Today, advocacy is often marked by urgency, moral clarity, and a sense that the stakes could not be higher. In many cases, urgency is warranted: The harm is active and real, while delaying has consequences. At the same time, something else has been quietly taking hold in justice work: a growing reliance on certainty where pos
Don Schweitzer
Mar 129 min read
How Principles Keep Our Advocacy from Becoming Toxic
Advocacy rooted in justice and dignity can still become harmful when values aren’t anchored in principles. This article explores how integrity, self-awareness, and principled engagement protect movements from drifting into toxic advocacy.
Don Schweitzer
Feb 256 min read
