Which approach do you think is the most effective– fighting against something, or fighting for something? You might be surprised to discover that the most powerful position we can take is to fight for something if we have to fight at all.
Let’s take a specific example; if I choose to fight against a woman’s right to choose I limit the discussion to one point and one point only. I will meet resistance from those who feel strongly that a woman’s choice is none of my business; and that opposition would be correct. If, however I choose to fight for an awareness of the implications of exercising that choice, I open the discussion to a wide variety of topics, many of which would engage people from both sides.
Do you see how much more powerful it is to come from a position of “For” rather than “Against?”
No matter how heartfelt the notion; fighting against cancer is not nearly as powerful as fighting for a cure! No matter how lofty the goal; fighting poverty is not as effective as fighting for prosperity. As admirable as fighting against drunk driving might be, the more effective path would be to fight for elimination of the causes of drunk driving. We open so many more avenues for the realization of our goals when we fight for the goals rather than fighting against a specific action.
Now I am going to add a power multiplier; rather than fighting for; how much more powerful will we be when we work towards something? Isn’t it more effective to say we are seeking the answer together?
