Lions are predators. Killers and eaters.
Bite the living thing until it’s no longer living. Eat the remains.
Lions live in prides.
Somewhere between 15 and 40 lions together.
Lions get hungry.
When a lion gets hungry it only needs to turn its head to find a living thing that it could bite and eat.
But lions don’t eat lions.
Why not?
Because the members of a lion’s pride are its allies. They know, maybe by instinct, that they have a better chance of survival together. Allies don’t eat allies.
These are tough times, and likely to get tougher.
We need a movement now, more than ever. A movement towards kindness, fairness, equity, and acceptance. We’re going to find ourselves with an odd assortment of allies. It will be easy to lash out at people who don’t get it, who say they’re on your side, but aren’t doing it right. Maybe they’re not saying the right things, using outdated language or sharing outdated ideas. Maybe they share one of your values, but not another. If they’re trying to be part of the movement, you want them to get it right. It’s easy to give people a dig, to laugh at them with the others who are in the know. Especially on the internet. So often, it’s a language thing—the words being used. Words are important, words carry power.
But here’s the thing about movements: they move. That means that someone who’s at the forefront today will be in the middle tomorrow, unless they move with the movement, and they’ll be at the back of the pack tomorrow.
Think about anything where people are trying to make progress as a long boat, and everyone in it having their hand on an oar. Up ahead somewhere is a line, and when each person passes it, they’ll have their own enlightening moment.
If you’re at the forefront—if you already get it—the likelihood is that you’re moving ahead of everyone else. In this kind of boat, not everyone gets to the finish line at the same time. But all those people behind you provide the weight that makes the movement meaningful. Remember that, when you turn around and get frustrated by how far behind you some people are. You can’t get them all into the front of the boat with you. You don’t have to. They’re already following you as fast as they can. Maybe it’s more important just to get more people into the boat, moving in the same direction.