More Lessons of Change from Tahrir Square

There are many ways to view, celebrate, or worry about the sea change that seems to be unfolding before our eyes in the Arab region at the moment. But one of the reasons it intrigues me is because it offers a vivid, real-life example of how change occurs, and the elements that allow it to happen.
A long article in The New York Times this week outlined both the long road to change that was taking place in the region before the 18 days of public events that brought down the government, as well as some of the elements that helped that effort’s ultimate success. And the lessons are instructive for anyone contemplating or attempting any level or kind of change in their lives or the world.
For starters, the efforts that culminated in the 18 days that shook the Arab world began in 2005. Six years ago. We didn’t hear about these efforts, of course—partly because we don’t have a good understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes in many foreign countries—especially societies and cultures that differ greatly from ours. But it was also because the “Youth for Change” or “April 6” movement, as it was called, couldn’t get enough followers to make much of a mark. Anyone who’s ever tried to found a company, organization, or movement could relate.
It is the classic early stage of the hero’s journey. The hero has a vision, or has enough tragedy or pain inflicted on him, that he leaves the comfort of his old life in the village, and attempts to effect some kind of change, in himself or in the world, often battling an impossibly strong opposing danger or enemy. But the villagers don’t follow, and the early efforts don’t go well, leaving him isolated, in the forest, alone.
What happens to change that? Many things … he gains wisdom and skills, gets some lucky breaks, the opposition makes some mistakes, and the forces in the world shift. But one of the key elements that always exists in a hero’s journey is the appearance of kindred spirits who join forces with the solitary hero and give him both the psychological support and the force strength he needs to succeed.
Not to keep harping on the Star Wars example, but it’s such a classic example that it’s useful for illustration. Think of Luke Skywalker without Han Solo or Obi Wan. Or without Princess Leia sensing him dangling in space, in need of rescue, and going back to get him. Without Han Solo coming in, at the last moment of the first movie, to get the Imperial fighters off Luke’s tail as he makes his final assault on the Death Star.
One of the most lessons of the hero’s journey is the fallacy of self-sufficiency, and the importance of kindred spirits and community in surviving life and all its challenges.
And so it was for the isolated group trying to effect change in Egypt. Over the past five years, they found kindred spirits in Tunisia and Qatar, and even in the writings of an obscure American scholar named Gene Sharp. Kindred spirits, after all, are not always people we meet in person. In the Egyptians’ case, in fact, they met very few of their kindred spirits in person, relying on email, Facebook, and other 21st century methods of forming a support community—and reaching out to potential followers.
I don’t believe the internet has fundamentally changed the basic need for physical presence—in business, dating or social change. But it can make the logistics of reaching a large number of people, and arranging for those in-person meetings and gatherings, a whole lot easier.
But in the end, the “overnight” change that took six years also took a significant commitment to risk and cost on the part of the protesters—one that could not occur in a virtual world, but the real world of clubs, rocks, tear gas and bullets. Granted, some fortuitous timing of external events opened up an opportunity for the Egyptian protesters. Nevertheless … at some point, they had to engage physically and mentally, fingers crossed that they would be now be able to convince enough villagers to come with them to turn the tide.
How it will all turn out, of course, nobody knows. But the Egyptians’ journey so far is instructive … and, despite the new technologies involved, not so very different from any other journey of change and transformation, in a person or the world.