As some feel too hopeless to get out and organized, I was reminded of this quote:

The first lesson a revolutionary must learn is that he is a doomed man. Unless he understands this, he does not grasp the essential meaning of his life. […] I have no doubt that the revolution will triumph. The people of the world will prevail, seize power, seize the means of production, wipe out racism, capitalism. […] The people will win a new world. Yet when I think of individuals in the revolution, I cannot predict their survival. Revolutionaries must accept this fact.

• Huey P. Newton

I like this sense of letting go. Letting go of the necessity to personally catch a glimpse of the new world with my own eyes. Maybe I will. I almost surely won’t. And yet, I want to help us get there. Even if things have to get worse before they get better, I want to help keep that spark alive.

Activism burnout is real and valid. If you’re effected, take all the time you need to heal. But recognize it’s similar to depression in that it lies to you. It lets you see reality through a distorted, non-materialist lense where everything is hopeless. (Might even lead to actual depression.) Don’t confuse it for wisdom. Material contradictions will move history forward.

To avoid that burnout in the first place, if we organize around a moment that arises outside of our control, we should anticipate the ebb and flow of social forces, of action and reaction. Use any arising moment to agitate, grow our forces, raise class conciseness, strengthen our orgs. And don’t be surprised or disappointed when inevitably the moment passes and forces of reaction take the stage. The moment will only not pass once. Until then we have to endure. And only personally commit what we can sustain long term.

Also we should be understanding towards people who feel burned out from activism. Don’t call them weak or pressure them, but invite them to come back in their own time (but don’t let people spread nihilism either).