I find your advice helpful. It's the first time I've read advice that gives me activities to uplift me. I'll be using these wise words for the next 3 1/2 years to get through the destruction that's taking place. I'm sharing this with others because there are so many of us out here who are overwhelmed with the constant barrage of attacks on freedoms we've grown used to. Perhaps that's one good thing about this whole mess...we're waking up to having taken so much for granted for too long.
It means a lot to know that you’re sharing my posts with others who are also struggling. I am humbled by your trust, Dee.
Yes! One of the ‘gifts’ of this horrendous time is that it’s waking us up to what truly matters, reminding us of our power to respond with courage, care, and clarity. That power’s all the greater when we work together. So I’ll be right here with you for the next 3½ years and beyond.
Extend grace to yourself. Especially when it’s more about survival than choice. The system that put you in that bind is the problem, not your human response to it.
Claim your outrage as evidence of health, not failure. You’re not broken for feeling this way. You’re responding appropriately to injustice. That’s moral clarity, not dysfunction.
Reframe helplessness as strategic pause.
You may not be able to act now, but that doesn’t mean you never will. Naming this as a season helps you hold your strength for when it’s needed.
Thank you for the clarity of thought you bring to this awful time.
You're welcome JP4M, I'm glad it resonated. I’m working on a follow-up post with a few simple microsteps you can easily weave into your day-to-day. Should have it out next week.
Bruce is all about offering fuel for injured souls. I can attest to this having seen him on numerous occasions. But we must go home to our injuries and it ain't always easy to mend. For me staying engaged without burnout is key. Reading, writing to my Congessman and local paper, while attending protest, adds that fuel to my fire. But, yeah, gotta let that flame simmer a bit. Exercise, reading fiction, movies. and meditation can soothe the injury.
This is the article I needed desperately while working in a job that required me to sustain moral injury over and over again. Excellent tools and suggestions, full of wisdom. Thank you for this!
You’re welcome Elizabeth. You do such a valuable job, but I imagine the personal cost may be a high level of moral injury. I’m glad this post is helpful.
Honestly my current work helping marginalized people leave the US helps heal the moral injury. It is the most tangible thing I can do, and feels more meaningful than most of the policy advocacy work I've done in the past. As we see now, policies on paper are reversible, and even the Constitution is only as good as the people in charge of enforcing it. The real moral injury happened when I had to bite my tongue about racism, right wing takeover, etc in order to appease people at work. The retaliation and powerlessness when I refused to. I am the most free I've ever been now. ❤️
I love this post! Thank you. Staying human in the face of systemic harm and oppression is so important. You might like my thoughts about this same topic:
What It Means to Stay Human in the Trump Era
Staying Human Now #4 - Trump’s actions are engineered to grind us down. Staying human is a key resistance strategy.
I will be sharing this with others I know who are struggling and starting to feel hopelessness. I have always been drawn to stories about people who have resisted and endured, especially during WWII. The spirit of these people are what drive me to speak up and stand up. I must be careful as I'm a civil servant but I'm also a union representative so my actions and voice are part of the greater federal labor movement holding the line. It is easy to get overwhelmed so taking steps to reset, restore, get away into nature, enjoy a local musicfest...is so important. I really do see this as spirit building and as you stated "Preparation". Your substack is a wonderful find for me on this beautiful Sunday morning.
I’m delighted to be a ‘wonderful find’ for you — thank you for letting me know. And thank you for speaking out and standing up. That takes such inner strength in times like these. I’ll continue to do all I can to support you. 🙏
Lori, keep up your good writing! It is much needed and you have a real ability to say what needs to be said. I hope you will read my substack posts, too. You don't mince words. You say what you feel will help. I think you know you use detail that many are not used to. I am because of my own personal story. I know what authoritarian can do to you. I know what the reaction to it is like. People just don't know what to do about it and how to fight it. And this fight is huge! I do feel this is the start of a global movement towards empowerment of the individual.
Those words resonated strongly, especially when I read your background! I’m very keen to read your posts, but about to board a flight, and I know the minute I start reading I’ll need to put my phone away.
I look forward to reading and responding once I disembark. 🙏
I have noticed, lately, that people are simply using a shorthand for the constant state of moral assault we find ourselves in. It is a pained facial expression and usually the mention of the latest breach of law, norms, or simple decency. Followed by a shrug. (No judgment here.)
It is becoming a tic.
But we are, as you point out, well into moral territory here. Politics are way in the rear-view mirror.
Our moral outrage, for this long a period of time, is a brand-new emotion that many (myself included) are trying to come to terms with. You have some great advice in here for dealing with it.
Community, art, creating beauty—all are acts of resistance. It's way too early to even say the words "silver lining"—but the renewed consciousness of what it takes to lead a "good" life is a particularly poignant feeling.
Thank you for such an uplifting and important post.
Re "...protect your capacity to resist"
When the PTB seem to be doing everything they can to dis-empower and even kill off segments of the population, adopting practices geared toward survival becomes a form of resistance. Helping others survive is both a form of resistance and a moral imperative.
To be clear: we have been lied to; the pandemic is not over. (Check out the protections in place at the World Economic Forum in Davos.) The info is out there, if one has the courage to look for it.
I find your advice helpful. It's the first time I've read advice that gives me activities to uplift me. I'll be using these wise words for the next 3 1/2 years to get through the destruction that's taking place. I'm sharing this with others because there are so many of us out here who are overwhelmed with the constant barrage of attacks on freedoms we've grown used to. Perhaps that's one good thing about this whole mess...we're waking up to having taken so much for granted for too long.
It means a lot to know that you’re sharing my posts with others who are also struggling. I am humbled by your trust, Dee.
Yes! One of the ‘gifts’ of this horrendous time is that it’s waking us up to what truly matters, reminding us of our power to respond with courage, care, and clarity. That power’s all the greater when we work together. So I’ll be right here with you for the next 3½ years and beyond.
This in particular:
Extend grace to yourself. Especially when it’s more about survival than choice. The system that put you in that bind is the problem, not your human response to it.
Claim your outrage as evidence of health, not failure. You’re not broken for feeling this way. You’re responding appropriately to injustice. That’s moral clarity, not dysfunction.
Reframe helplessness as strategic pause.
You may not be able to act now, but that doesn’t mean you never will. Naming this as a season helps you hold your strength for when it’s needed.
Thank you for the clarity of thought you bring to this awful time.
Lori, thank you for sharing these valuable ideas.
You're welcome JP4M, I'm glad it resonated. I’m working on a follow-up post with a few simple microsteps you can easily weave into your day-to-day. Should have it out next week.
Bruce is all about offering fuel for injured souls. I can attest to this having seen him on numerous occasions. But we must go home to our injuries and it ain't always easy to mend. For me staying engaged without burnout is key. Reading, writing to my Congessman and local paper, while attending protest, adds that fuel to my fire. But, yeah, gotta let that flame simmer a bit. Exercise, reading fiction, movies. and meditation can soothe the injury.
Wonderful advice, W.J.— thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you so much, this was extremely helpful- and exactly what I needed!!! ♥️
This is the article I needed desperately while working in a job that required me to sustain moral injury over and over again. Excellent tools and suggestions, full of wisdom. Thank you for this!
You’re welcome Elizabeth. You do such a valuable job, but I imagine the personal cost may be a high level of moral injury. I’m glad this post is helpful.
Honestly my current work helping marginalized people leave the US helps heal the moral injury. It is the most tangible thing I can do, and feels more meaningful than most of the policy advocacy work I've done in the past. As we see now, policies on paper are reversible, and even the Constitution is only as good as the people in charge of enforcing it. The real moral injury happened when I had to bite my tongue about racism, right wing takeover, etc in order to appease people at work. The retaliation and powerlessness when I refused to. I am the most free I've ever been now. ❤️
I love this post! Thank you. Staying human in the face of systemic harm and oppression is so important. You might like my thoughts about this same topic:
What It Means to Stay Human in the Trump Era
Staying Human Now #4 - Trump’s actions are engineered to grind us down. Staying human is a key resistance strategy.
https://paultshattuck.substack.com/p/what-it-means-to-stay-human-staying
thank you, re-stacked 👍
Thank you. 🙏🏽
You’re welcome Kristin. 🙏
I will be sharing this with others I know who are struggling and starting to feel hopelessness. I have always been drawn to stories about people who have resisted and endured, especially during WWII. The spirit of these people are what drive me to speak up and stand up. I must be careful as I'm a civil servant but I'm also a union representative so my actions and voice are part of the greater federal labor movement holding the line. It is easy to get overwhelmed so taking steps to reset, restore, get away into nature, enjoy a local musicfest...is so important. I really do see this as spirit building and as you stated "Preparation". Your substack is a wonderful find for me on this beautiful Sunday morning.
I’m delighted to be a ‘wonderful find’ for you — thank you for letting me know. And thank you for speaking out and standing up. That takes such inner strength in times like these. I’ll continue to do all I can to support you. 🙏
Thank you for this. Came at just the right time for me.
Lori, keep up your good writing! It is much needed and you have a real ability to say what needs to be said. I hope you will read my substack posts, too. You don't mince words. You say what you feel will help. I think you know you use detail that many are not used to. I am because of my own personal story. I know what authoritarian can do to you. I know what the reaction to it is like. People just don't know what to do about it and how to fight it. And this fight is huge! I do feel this is the start of a global movement towards empowerment of the individual.
Those words resonated strongly, especially when I read your background! I’m very keen to read your posts, but about to board a flight, and I know the minute I start reading I’ll need to put my phone away.
I look forward to reading and responding once I disembark. 🙏
Wonderful piece, again.
I have noticed, lately, that people are simply using a shorthand for the constant state of moral assault we find ourselves in. It is a pained facial expression and usually the mention of the latest breach of law, norms, or simple decency. Followed by a shrug. (No judgment here.)
It is becoming a tic.
But we are, as you point out, well into moral territory here. Politics are way in the rear-view mirror.
Our moral outrage, for this long a period of time, is a brand-new emotion that many (myself included) are trying to come to terms with. You have some great advice in here for dealing with it.
Community, art, creating beauty—all are acts of resistance. It's way too early to even say the words "silver lining"—but the renewed consciousness of what it takes to lead a "good" life is a particularly poignant feeling.
Thank you for such an uplifting and important post.
Re "...protect your capacity to resist"
When the PTB seem to be doing everything they can to dis-empower and even kill off segments of the population, adopting practices geared toward survival becomes a form of resistance. Helping others survive is both a form of resistance and a moral imperative.
To be clear: we have been lied to; the pandemic is not over. (Check out the protections in place at the World Economic Forum in Davos.) The info is out there, if one has the courage to look for it.
Thank you Carleton.