如果甘地活在今天,他会使用社交媒体吗?他从不反对科技,甚至也不反对与时俱进。恰恰相反,如果互联网技术和社交网络已经存在,他肯定会欣然接受——但同时也会清醒地认识到它们的优势和劣势。任何社会变革英雄都成功地做到了三件基本的事情——提高意识、产生影响和改变人心。
就提升公众意识而言,互联网的作用堪称卓越。我们在网上建立了数万亿个新的友谊;Facebook每天都会发布数据,展示人们如何跨越宗教和地域的冲突建立这些友谊。今天的数据是:印度-巴基斯坦:199,721,以色列-巴勒斯坦:39,497,希腊-土耳其:7,988。如今,全球超过一半的人口都在使用社交网络,而且这个数字还在与日俱增;每天生产的iPhone数量甚至超过了新生儿的数量。如果Facebook是一个国家,它将是世界第三大国。整个网络世界充满了无私奉献的精神。每秒钟都有一小时的视频被上传——我们五年内创造的内容总量,比从人类诞生到2003年的总和还要多。每天有超过6800万用户分享和点赞内容。如果维基百科是一本书,它将有225万页之多。这一切都是免费的,仅维基百科一项就累计了超过1亿小时的志愿者贡献时间。这一切造就了一个传播思想和内容的绝佳平台,而且运营成本极低。
互联网的社会影响可谓喜忧参半。阿拉伯之春就足以证明其巨大的潜力。然而,互联网也带来了诸多新问题,从网络欺凌到“懒人行动主义”,再到注意力持续时间的缩短,不一而足。最终的平衡点会在哪里,目前尚难定论,但就目前来看,互联网似乎更倾向于产生积极的社会影响。昨天是2月14日,我不禁想起2009年印度的一场情人节活动—— “粉红内裤运动” 。在印度南部的一个小镇,一群保守的社区成员决定殴打去酒吧的女性。无论从哪个角度来看,这都是一种极其残暴的行为。人们对此义愤填膺,但由于政界的腐败,却无人问津。于是,来自世界各地的同情者们决定行动起来。他们建立了一个Facebook群组,呼吁大家向政府官员寄送“粉色内裤”。这一行动迅速蔓延开来。那个小城市的政府官员开始收到成百上千条粉色内裤。不仅仅是情人节那天,而是每天都有。他们真的不知道该如何应对。内裤源源不断地寄来。直到最后,他们才采取行动,将骚扰女性的施暴者绳之以法。这起案件成为了一个里程碑式的案例,展现了草根网络运动的有效性,以及分布式网络的力量。因此,互联网非常适合传播信息,而且在影响力方面也相当强大。然而,它却缺乏第三个要素——变革。
网络友谊终究有限。Farmville 上的农民比现实世界多出 7500 万。Farmville 并非真正的耕作,正如网络关系无法等同于“现实生活”中的友谊。网络友谊本身就相当脆弱。早在 2008 年,《纽约时报》的一位记者就曾撰文讲述他惊讶于自己竟然有 700 位好友;于是他举办了一场派对,希望大家能够互相认识。结果只有一个人来了,而且还是个意外。Facebook 的运营原则是留住用户的在线注意力,并通过展示广告将其变现;这正是他们即将以 750 亿美元估值上市的原因。显然,在线社交网络在我们的世界中提供了宝贵的实用价值,但它们也存在系统性的局限性。Facebook 的设计理念是,它更希望你给朋友发送一个虚拟泰迪熊,而不是走出他们的网络去给一个拥抱。我并非反对虚拟泰迪熊,但它无法取代拥抱。科学告诉我们,当我们以利他的方式与他人互动时,大脑会释放催产素——它让我们感觉良好,改善我们的健康,并增强我们的幸福感。
如果在线复制这些体验会削弱内在的转变,那么我们应该提出什么样的问题?如果最佳方案是将互联网的全球连接与本地友谊带来的愉悦感相结合呢?互联网公司不会问这个问题,因为它们只关注线上发展;传统企业通常也无法探索这个问题,因为它们并非处于技术发展的前沿。谁会问这些问题?我们尚不清楚,但我们必须问这些问题。
如果我们回顾一下我们这个时代那些意义深远的革命家,从甘地、马丁·路德·金和塞萨尔·查韦斯到特蕾莎修女、达赖喇嘛和昂山素季——他们领导力的标志不仅仅在于他们的觉悟或他们所开展运动的影响力。许多其他战略家或许能做得更好;他们的力量源于自身的内在转变,正是这种转变赋予了他们触动人心的力量。观看一段关于香烟如何危害身体的视频固然有价值;那是觉悟。参加一个提供尼古丁贴片的戒烟项目固然有价值;那是影响力。而真正的转变在于彻底改变成瘾模式;改变人心的习惯才是这些社会变革巨匠真正的天才之处。篮球运动员经常投篮得分后,如果被犯规,有机会再得一分,就会大喊“加一!”。这就是第三分。行动主义——加一!
如果我们想要实现能够持续数代的可持续变革,那么我们现代的技术必须考虑到内在转变这一要素。每一位传奇的英雄人物都从根本上改变自己开始,即便他们领导了影响深远的变革,也始终将这一点放在首位。同样地,当我们处于自身进化的转折点时,我们自然而然地会从以自我为中心转向以他人为中心。那时,我们便能从富足的状态出发去服务他人,这意味着我们带着喜悦和感恩之心去服务。我们珍视彼此间深刻的联结,并随着我们与超越自身的自然演进相契合,我们不断地自我蜕变。这种由积极反馈循环带来的外部变革,其本质则截然不同。
这种由内在转变驱动的设计,如果组织得当,便能在三大层面——外在变革、系统变革和个人变革——的交汇点发挥作用。行动主义通常被定义为外在变革和系统变革的交汇点,但如果没有我们自身内在转变的要素,它就不完整。这是一个至关重要的概念,但我们却找不到一个词来描述它。所以我们创造了一个新词。
赠予主义:一种通过慷慨无私的行动来改变世界的实践。它的作用在于转变变革者的内心,其意义甚至超过了对外部受益者的影响。赠予主义的一个关键指标是它能够惠及所有人。它没有敌人,对每个人都无条件地友善。甘地曾称之为“萨沃达亚”(Sarvodaya)——全民福祉。这并非什么新思想,它没有版权,也永远不会上市。“它和山一样古老,”甘地曾这样说过。甘地大约七十岁时,在拉杰科特这座小城向数千人发表演讲。演讲进行到一半时,一群约六百人的“土匪”闯入集会,对听众发动暴力袭击。人们不知所措。一方面,他们正在聆听一位非暴力倡导者的演讲;另一方面,这些土匪却想用暴力来控制局面。现场一片混乱。人们伤势严重;救护车和警车的警笛声此起彼伏。就在这混乱之中,甘地仍然站在台上;他闭上双眼,开始祈祷和冥想;他的面容平静安详,但身体却微微颤抖,可能是被眼前的景象所震撼。当他睁开眼睛时,他告诉组织者,他想与土匪头目对话。由于许多人害怕让甘地暴露在暴力之下,现场顿时一片混乱。但甘地不仅坚持要见他,而且还选择亲自前往。组织者们惊慌失措,因为甘地径直走向了那位团伙头目。26岁的巴尔·卡莱尔卡目睹了这一幕,后来他写道:“令所有人惊讶的是,暴徒们的暴力像冰一样融化了。团伙头目双手合十站在甘地面前……那天晚上,他一路走回家,一只手搭在团伙头目的肩膀上。”
这就是内在转变的力量。这就是天赋主义。
如今,社交媒体和互联网技术对我们所有人来说都是无比宝贵的财富。甘地一定会欣然接受它们。但它们的设计必须植根于我们最大的优势——内在的转变。我们必须确保所有技术都服务于我们共同的人性,而不是反过来。
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
SHARE YOUR REFLECTION
12 PAST RESPONSES
Wonderful article. Inner transformation truly is the secret sauce of sustainability. As a wise man said, "What you achieve inwardly will change your outer reality"
Simply amazing to read this....am in the middle of helping to design a workshop for human rights activists from India and was thinking, "How can I incorporate the perceived fuzzy idea of compassion and love into the heart of the workshop?" I think I will use this piece as a prompt...thank you!
Thanks Nipun. Insightful. "Inner-transformation driven designs work at the intersection of three big circles: outer change, systemic change and personal change. " The religious folks growing up never talk that much about activism, outer change. And the traditional activists rarely talk about inner transformation. That bridge, that commitment to all three circles is a very profound and important message.
Lovely post.
You ask, "Who will ask those questions?" I'm happy to say I've spent the past 3 days (+1 more tomorrow) at the Wisdom 2.0 Conference, where technology and mindfulness leaders have come together to ask exactly those questions. Thupten Jimpa (in conversation with Pierre Omidyar) seemed to sum it up nicely by calling for technology users to exercise mindful self-discipline in their use of the technology, and asking for technology creators to consciously consider social responsibility as they create and distribute their products and services.
once again u hv spoken like a yogi! [which u are ] :) love nd light- Rajima
Thanks Nipun. Insightful. "Inner-transformation driven designs work at the intersection of three big circles: outer change, systemic change and personal change. " The religious folks growing up never talk that much about activism, outer change. And the traditional activists rarely talk about inner transformation. That bridge, that commitment to all three circles is a very profound and important message. --Sriram Shamasunder
I just wonder if Facebook would be willing to provide equal space to charities that offer giving opportunities based on the on line behavior of each client or better yet random charities receive equal footing to paid advertisers. These charities may ask for money and or service. This would mean not maximizing the space with paid advertisements but "social profit" would soar and I promise you inner transformation would be fostered. Paypal has made my giving much easier. Still my inner transformation comes from time on the cushion. Dogen said meditation is enlightenment. I vow to try.
Ah,
Nipun my friend, you are a wise one...The question for many is, "What
is the avenue to inner transformation?" For me, it has been the Center
for Courage and Renewal: www.couragerenewal.org and the teachings of Parker Palmer. I encourage all of my friends to explore this avenue...With Love, Margaret
BAAMplex! :-)
Transforming the heart of the UN, and the entire Earth Community.Another powerful delivery and writeup, based on his own inner transformation and that of the invisible collaborators!
Hands down. Standing ovation. Hearts and spirits up! :-)
Definitively, this is fresh raw fuel to continue the (R)evolution. Thanks for the nourishing food.
Love. You. Hermano. ;-)
Pancho
PS: Going to facilitate a bit further the awareness of this article on the electronland... ;-)
For sure, unconditional giving is the most radical idea and practice that I have ever come across. Thanks to the author for picking that out as the ingredient much needed in all domains that concern us and our planet. It is no doubt the most difficult thing to even have this perspective in a given moment as we are heavily conditioned otherwise. Besides the mental block, it has so many practical difficulties too. So, I think it is important for every person to do their own small acts of giftvism in any context they can and generate an ocean of data of its ripples. Here is a chance for us to indulge in practice and theory side by side without any burden of the past, without divisions, without worries about resource, impact... without any condition, one small act of gifting ourselves in any way we can everyday. Now, where do I send my daily report to humanity? Helpothers.org I suppose :)
Very well written.Social transformation can happen irrespective of Social media.But depending on technology to change is really time consuming.Each one us can change if we are willing to change.
Thank you so much , it is the truth . People will transform only when they see the transformation of the change maker , as they saw in Gandhi , Mother Teresa , Martin Luther King and many others who followed them . They set an example of their own lives for others to follow .