One of the things that has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks is the idea of radicalism, and how it is perceived by others and the radicals themselves. This was especially so after listening to Eamonn McCann speak during class. I suppose that there are varying degrees of trust of radicals, but it seems that the average person is generally distrustful of radicals. There are probably many reasons for this, but it seems that most of this distrust simply comes from the idea of change, especially change to the extent where you enter the realm of the unknown. Even if the system in place is problematic and sets up people to suffer, the idea of entering the unknown often is seen as more problematic that maintaining the status quo. I suppose this is the same logic many people apply to the fear of death. Despite many people’s belief that death is the ultimate neutral state, they would rather continue living in moderate pain. Of course, this is not to suggest that a radical revolution is the same thing as death, it is simply to point out the shared feature: uncertainty.
I suppose this idea of uncertainty must also be present in the mind of radicals, just probably to a lesser extent. I seriously doubt that radicals can dedicate great chunks of their lives to a cause without the constant weight of some amount of doubt about how their visions will actually manifest themselves. Maybe it’s just me, but I have a hard time believing people can be so sure of their imagined future. Based on this assumption, which to me seems perfectly reasonable, I wonder what exactly keeps radicals going, and how they deal with that uncertainty. Maybe it’s the belief that their future will at the very least be better than the current system. This further begs the question of whether or not radicals base their beliefs more in the hope for a new future or in the hatred of the current system. What is scarier to the average person?
This is an interesting post you have here. There are a couple thoughts that I have on radicals that may answer some of the questions you proposed. First, you asked what keeps radicals motivated despite the lack of certainty about the future. I think one unifying factor amongst true radicals is a deep passion for the topic. Dedicating massive chunks of your time to an idea or a movement requires a deep desire for change that overlooks the fear of failure. Secondly, you asked the question about how radicals base there view. Is it off hatred for the system or a true vision for change? I think that it is certainly a combination of both, but leaning towards hatred of the system. This hatred of the system is where that intense passion for change is born. An average citizen would certainly be more afraid of the hater of the system, because they challenge the current status quo in a way that an average citizen would not even think of. This intense challenge of the way things are can be very scary for someone who does not necessarily feel the same way.