Activism is nourished by radical figures, or rather, it lives by the very existence of these symbols. Without a dose of radicalism, it is sometimes difficult to know how emancipation movements, whether civic, humanist or environmental, take shape. Awareness of injustice can lead to more categorical commitments.
Involvement in a group is not systematic, but it strengthens our convictions and creates an esprit de corps.
Life change is a slow process and is expressed through a triptych of inseparable elements: thought, word and action.
In order to change our behavior, we must first of all change our beliefs and our representation of an issue. The mind is a malleable material, but it needs arguments and even provocations for it to really acquire its ductile properties. The first face of radicality is the exercise of a radical thought put to the test of contradiction.
If we want to test the truth of our beliefs, we must expose them to the fire of criticism and even know how to reduce them to ashes so that better ideas are born from these ashes.
Radical thinking is measured by our words and actions. Without true congruence between these other components of commitment, we cannot validate the assimilation of these ideas and even the sincerity of our approach.
Once we have succeeded in confirming the authenticity of our commitment, we can make the choice to become involved through our words, whether written or oral. This form of commitment requires a certain desire: not everyone is a preacher, not everyone is a pamphleteer. Shaking things up requires verve and even a certain eloquence, which fortunately can be developed through practice.
Radical action is not a one-two punch, nor a demonstration or any other enterprise aiming at marking the spirits by its suddenness. Radicality through action is to make one’s life an expression of one’s deepest convictions. It is the most demanding path because it is the highest level of involvement. To act radically is to apply in a radical way the principles and values of which one claims to be a model to follow or at least the expression of an alternative life. It is easier to go and demonstrate punctually since after a march, one can quietly go back to one’s daily routine without really being worried or disturbed. There is no radical action without a radical life, the rest are only aborted attempts.
