This might be the most powerful message I have ever come across, or maybe I just heard it at the right time, but Timothy Snyder’s “Don’t obey in advance” resonates with me so much.

Here are quotes from an interview right after the US election (where, actually, half the quote below is from the interviewer, because he said it so beautifully), but it is relevant in any context. They were speaking about not falling into the trap of thinking that whoever is in power can do whatever they want on their own; it is important to remember that they always need support of many many people in order to succeed. But that support does not have to be given, and especially not in advance.

Timothy Snyder: When you say “Don’t obey in advance”, it means “who am I? What do I stand for? What’s normal to me? What am I not going to do?”. You try to define your reality as a free person not to get dragged along by conformism. And that makes a huge difference. Not despairing, knowing what you think is right, and just not conforming in advance. […]

Ali Velshi: While it feels hopeless to some who may be watching and maybe some who aren’t because they can’t take any more news this week, the point is, you are not a different person than you were a week ago. The circumstances around you have changed by virtue of this election, but if you are fighting to preserve abortion rights a week ago, you’re still fighting for that. If you were fighting to keep books on shelves, you’re still fighting for that. You remain the same person despite who becomes the president of the United States and who won the control of Congress. […]

Timothy Snyder: But you have to make sure you remain that person, which is what freedom means. Freedom means you decide who you are and then when things change around you, you continue to be that person and in so doing, you do constructive work, set an example for others, meet new people trying to remain themselves.

My emphasis, because we all need to hear it more often; “Freedom means you decide who you are and then when things change around you, you continue to be that person.”

Watch the interview here: