No one wants to expend more effort than necessary //
It’s human. We adapt to do the least amount of work possible. We identify with what we know. We save ourselves and those around us first. When it’s time to do good, what is closest to the self is most strongly felt.
It’s easier to sympathize and motivate around shared experiences //
Sometimes, situations that have not been experienced directly are beyond emotional comprehension. There is no way I can understand the life of a child solider in Uganda. Knowing something is bad is not the same as knowing what bad feels like.
Immediacy inspires action //
Natural disaster relief. Current events. Local customs. When issues have direct impact, the consequences are visceral, immediate, emotional. It’s why Thanksgiving is the hottest night of the year to serve at homeless shelters. A national holiday unites us all. For the rest of the year, homed and homeless have little in common. When organizations require action for slow, invisible, unfamiliar issues, our empathy range is limited.
The range of options we have to make our voices heard has never been more accessible. Petition sites like Aavaz, MoveOn, and Peers allow anyone to join or start a movement. But as our lives speed up, becoming digitized and decentralized, how do we motivate via identification?
Universal stories // We’ve all had our hearts broken, felt shame, or experienced relief. A narrative invoking emotion can bring even the dullest environmental issues to a vibrant, piercing call to action.
Global holidays // There aren’t many global holidays; New Year’s is commited to self-improvement and Christmas is a cluttered field of messaging. But we’re unified online. No reason not to create new global traditions…
Unexpected familiarity // Surprise engages. It sparks fight-or-flight. It’s why we laugh at jokes. A sensation this lizard-brain powerful links shock to action. As suprises are often initiators– something we’ve never experienced before– they tend to stick. Seek shocking links between faraway issues and the lives of your audience.
Personal interaction // Clipboard people, go away. Stop pressuring people out on their errands to stop what they’re doing and subsidize your hourly wage. It doesn’t make business sense and denigrates your cause. Asking for money is more challenging than asking for time. Asking for advice is more effective than inquiring about expectations. Communication and contributions can be achieved by door-to-door information shares– ask for nothing, simply educate.
It’s not impossible to connect slow or remote issues to individuals– the first step is demonstrating why the unfamiliar is, in fact, personal.
xo, suzymae