Over a lunchtime conversation at CONvergence last weekend, I was reminded of an oft used metaphor for social change, the pendulum. While the imagery is compelling, I realized that the analogy is pretty much garbage and that there is a somewhat more robust one available.
After the break, I present my arguments using the medium most respected in formal debate, cartoony marker drawings.
I admit that the analogy isn’t perfect. I’m not sure what hills, or avalanches might represent, for example. I can’t speak to whether it is more important to move sedimentary or igneous social issues. Also, the application of dynamite or modern construction equipment pretty much demolishes the metaphor. Still, I think it has utility and much better represents the inherent difficulty and potential problems when attempting to advance social change than the pendulum.
This is fantastic. Now back to rolling that boulder…
cartoony marker drawings FTW!!!
and who’s going to make the first Sisyphus reference?
I like the idea, as it appeals to my optimistic side: we may not agree on the exact path, but most everyone agrees that we want to move the boulder forward.
That’d be you oldbaldy77.