I've been involved in social activism my entire life, and I would argue that many people involved in social activist movements have done very little work on themselves.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of personal growth alongside social activism.
Eve Ensler highlights a common tendency among social activists to focus on changing the world while neglecting their own personal development. She argues that true effectiveness in activism comes not only from fighting for social causes but also from self-awareness and self-improvement, suggesting that inner work is essential for meaningful external change.
In practice
In a speech about leadership, one might quote this to inspire others to prioritize personal growth.
Dancing insists we take up space, and though it has no set direction, we go there together. Dance is dangerous, joyous, sexual, holy, disruptive, and contagious and it breaks the rules. It can happen anywhere, at anytime, with anyone and everyone, and it's free. Dance joins us and pushes us to go further and that is why it's at the center of ONE BILLION RISING.
Before cancer, I was obviously disconnected. I had a tumor the size of a mango inside me and didn't do anything about it. It wasn't like I didn't know something was wrong.
It's a weird thing about the truth: It protects you. What really makes you vulnerable is when you're lying because you're going to get caught. When you tell the truth, there's a strange relief that comes.
Well, the tyranny of masculinity and the tyranny of patriarchy I think has been much more deadly to men than it has to women. It hasn’t killed our hearts. It’s killed men’s hearts. It’s silenced them, it’s cut them off.
Why are women immobile? Because so many feel like they’re waiting for someone to say, "You’re good, you’re pretty, I give you permission."
Security is elusive. It's impossible. We all die. We all get old. We all get sick. People leave us. People change us. Nothing is secure.
If you want to see a rainbow you have to learn to see the rain.
Many times in life, we say we want change but are then terrified when the opportunity for it arrives.
It doesn't matter how strong your opinions are. If you don't use your power for positive change, you are, indeed, part of the problem.
When we clean up after ourselves, we have nothing to blame. When we begin to live our lives in that way, cleaning up after ourselves, what is left is further vision and further openness, which leads to cleaning up the rest of the world.
Good pain is pain in the service of a purpose. Bad pain is pain endured because we are resisting a needed growth step.
You are the world. When you transform yourself, the world you live in will also be transformed.
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