Awareness is overrated

Having heard the buzz around Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman, and seeing that is a relatively short book, I gave it a go. It’s a provocative book that has made me reconsider some of my views, including what he calls the illusion of awareness. Bregman writes: To put it bluntly: awareness is overrated. The fact that people are aware of various injustices doesn't mean they'll act on that knowledge - on the contrary. We hold all kinds of opinions on all kinds of matters, but we generally do little with our viewpoints. Just knowing more doesn’t lead to action. One more dataset is not going to push us from inaction to action. One more pamphlet by an NGO is not going to suddenly create a revolution. One more dinner conversation is not going to bring legislative change. What matters is how we build on awareness and take the steps needed to realise a tangible future. Bregman says that many individuals and organisations advocating for change seem to stop at awareness — as though they measure…