I spend a lot of time trying to think like a fish to figure out what a fish might think is a tasty treat. I try and figure out what a fish might react to in order to provide exactly the right stimuli to create the reaction I’m looking for: a bite. I sometimes even go as far as trying to imagine what a fish might be feeling to get a feel for what might satisfy their hunger. But all this is speculation, I can never really know what a fish thinks or feels or will trigger a reaction. I can, however, know one thing for certain: whether a fish bites or not. And, when it comes down to it, this is really all that matters. A fish may be thinking that my lure looks like a fish or grub they are hunting, and feel that it would be good to eat (or may not be thinking or feeling at all) but none of this counts unless they commit to the action of chomping on my bait. It’s really that simple: if the fish bites then I have a good chance of catching it, if it doesn’t, I don’t. And no one wants to hear a fish story that details the psychology of a fish but ends with an empty creel.
Activists give a lot of thought to changing people’s hearts and minds about issues. They try to “raise awareness” through pamphlets, soapbox speeches, press releases, social media posts, and other educational tactics, and they try to rouse people’s emotions through street protests, vigils, media stunts, creative interventions, and other affective tactics. Underlying this emphasis on hearts and minds is a faith that thoughts and feelings will somehow automatically lead to action. I’ve come to believe that this is a misplaced faith, particularly within our spectator society where we are used to consuming all sorts of transformative ideas and ideals without ever acting upon them. This is not to say that thinking and feeling are not necessary. People need to think that something is wrong and feel that they can change it (or feel that something is the matter and think of a plan to address it) before change can happen. But the goal is always the change, that is: action. Without people acting nothing will change. This is why it is so important for activists to do more than merely raising awareness and stirring up passions, and concentrate on charting pathways and creating opportunities so that people can act on these thoughts and feelings.