Participating Means Perpetuating: Here’s how we change the System
When I worked for the federal government, I was in an intelligence unit that wrote analyses (papers) on global events. We had a boss who, as testament to his weasel-y character, took it upon himself to re-write the papers that his expert analysts had written. He changed their conclusions, and deleted entire sections of their arguments. He did this, we all believed, because he wanted to look good in front of the Prime Minister; wanted to say that this was his own work. He briefed the PM on issues of national security, but with content that the experts said was incorrect. But the papers got published anyway, with each analyst’s name attached to it. participating means perpetuating, how to change the system, break free from the system
Then one day this boss re-wrote my paper. He deleted entire paragraphs, and gutted the whole thing. He rendered it as valuable as a Wikipedia entry. My manager at the time decided not to defend me, and told me that arguing was a lost cause, and that the only course of action was for me to just make the changes that the boss had requested.dismantle the patriarchy, how to change patriarchy
So guess what I did? I took the file back to my office. I made the changes. And then I sent an email to the entire production team, with a copy to my manager, saying, “I’ve made the changes. But I no longer agree with this paper; it no longer reflects my beliefs about the subject. It is therefore no longer ‘my’ work product. I have thus deleted my name from the paper and will not be associated with it anymore. So, take me off of your email distribution list, and have someone come pick up the file from my office, because I won’t touch it again.”
That’s how you push back on the bullsh*t. That’s how you tell a System that it is dysfunctional. (The boss was making several of my colleagues sick with stress from what he was doing to their work. Not to mention, you know, NATIONAL SECURITY.) dismantle the patriarchy, how to change patriarchy
You cannot complain about a System and still allow its toxicity to continue. If you really want it to stop, you have to say, “STOP.” participating means perpetuating, how to change the system, break free from the system
Now, is everyone in a position to talk back to their elders, like I did? Some people aren’t. Some people are or feel unsafe. Some people desperately need the paycheck. Some people have other things going on that prevent them from pushing back.
But you–can you push back? In ways small or large or medium-sized? At every opportunity, you have a duty to yourself and to humanity to do so. We will never change the System if we don’t.
~ Jen
Are you ready to take your power back? Book a session and let’s recover your energy and soul. participating means perpetuating, how to change the system, break free from the system
