When brown-nosing is a life skill and humiliation is the price of survival

This video post was triggered by the White House visit by President Zelensky of Ukraine last Friday. I reflect on today’s dynamics across geopolitics that have been snagging on memories of growing up in the imploding Soviet Union; memories that feel as foundational as bone marrow.Today, millions of people around the world are once again forced to choose between survival — their own or of those who depend on them — and their dignity. In a post on my origin story, I say:“I remember acknowledging that change was non-negotiable. Still, I knew in my gut that it need not callously decimate people’s lives. Before even hitting my teens, I remember committing to finding better ways to do it; ways that did not pull the rug from under people’s feet; ways that protected the environment as well as human dignity; ways that reinvigorated rather than decimated; that unlocked possibility rather than entrenching despair.”As somebody who’s dedicated 30 years to figuring out how we can be more effective in creating transformation, I despise this trade-off. And never more so than as I watched that White House visit and what has transpired since, including the halt in the already approved US aid to Ukraine. In this post, I share why these escalating tactics are drudging up memories for me, explore what might come next if history is any gauge, and argue that deploying humiliation comes with a steep price for individuals, families, and communities.I very much look forward to your thoughts and discussion!Elena This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit changemakershandbook.substack.com/subscribe