November 1: “We often make terrible mistakes by copying bad examples.” –Gandhi (Young India, February 16, 1921) There, he said it and I’m glad. People, especially if they’re new to activism, have a tendency to copy tactics that they see others have used, but it’s harder to look beneath those tactics to the strategy they… read more
Posts by Stephanie Van Hook
“The art of nonviolence”–Daily Metta
October 31: “Just as one must learn the art of killing in the training for violence, so one must learn the art of dying in the training for nonviolence.” –Gandhi (Harijan, September 9, 1940) Gandhi expected that those who were totally committed to nonviolence would be willing to face death when necessary while at the… read more
“A question of life and Death”–Daily Metta
October 30: “I know that death is inevitable, no matter what precautions man deludes himself with.” –Gandhi (Young India, July 2, 1931) There is a story from the Middle East about a man who runs right into Death in the marketplace, and Death backs away from him, clearly startled. The man doesn’t take the time… read more
“Enlightened Anarchy”–Daily Metta
October 29: “If national life becomes so perfect as to become self-regulated, no representation becomes necessary.” –Gandhi (Young India, July 2, 1931) Gandhi’s ideal political system? Two words: Enlightened anarchy. (If you are like me, you will need a minute to take that in. But hold on to your seat, because it gets better…) It… read more
“Peering into the heart of life”–Daily Metta
October 28: “I have no interest in living except for the prosecution of that mission.” –Gandhi (Harijan, July 6, 1940) Gandhi was not passionate about films from the turn of the century. He didn’t spend his free time learning Greek. He wasn’t consumed with refining his palate for wines, or seeking out new adventures in… read more
“Weaving it together”–Daily Metta
October 27: “Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.” –Gandhi (Autobiography) As a very novice weaver, I get to admire Gandhi from a slightly different angle, because beyond everything else… read more
“From ants to drones”–Daily Metta
October 26: “The essence of the nonviolent technique is that it seeks to liquidate antagonisms but not the antagonists themselves.” –Gandhi (Harijan, April 29, 1939) The other day I noticed a box of ant bait on a store shelf. In bold letters, it told me that this product DESTROYS ant colonies and so on along… read more
“Which side are you on?”–Daily Metta
October 25: “Avoidance of all relationship with the opposing power can never be a Satyagrahi’s object, but the transformation or purification of that relationship.” –Gandhi (Harijan, April 29, 1939) If the Syrian nonviolence movement could teach us one lesson about the dynamics of nonviolence it would be this principle that Gandhi lays out for us: Nonviolence… read more
“The first step in nonviolence”–Daily Metta
October 24: “The very first step in nonviolence is that we cultivate in our daily life, as between ourselves, truthfulness, humility, tolerance, and loving kindness.” –Gandhi (Harijan, April 2, 1938) Nonviolence: in the minds of most people, it means either “being nice” or doing protests, direct action (no matter what the cause or the sentiments… read more
“Fighting fire with water”–Daily Metta
October 23: “The fact is that nonviolence does not work in the same way as violence.” –Gandhi (Harijan, June 18, 1942) According to historian B.R. Nanda, nonviolence is the kind of thing where “you can lose all of the battles and go on to win the war,” exemplifying the principle that Gandhi articulates: violence and… read more
