by Andy Lee
I Was Thinking About… Complacency vs. Action
There’s a saying: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Yet here we are—watching, complaining, shaking our heads. And still, nothing changes.
We know our political system is broken. We see corruption, gridlock, and bad decisions made at the highest levels. We feel the weight of rising costs, growing divisions, and problems that seem unsolvable. But instead of demanding change, too many of us have settled into something worse: acceptance.
We have come to believe that our voices don’t matter, that the system is too big to fix, that things are simply the way they are. And so, we disengage.
How Complacency Took Hold
1. Exhaustion
People are tired. Tired of broken promises, tired of outrage, tired of feeling powerless. When change feels impossible, apathy becomes survival.
2. Division
We are so busy fighting each other that we forget to fight for something better. Instead of demanding accountability, we cheer for our “side” and accept whatever comes with it.
3. The Illusion of Powerlessness
We tell ourselves that nothing we do will make a difference. That corruption is too deep, money rules everything, and our individual actions don’t count. And the more we believe it, the truer it becomes.
But Here’s the Truth
Complacency is a choice. And every time we choose to stay silent, to sit out, to shrug and move on, we reinforce the very system we claim to hate.
We don’t have to change the world overnight. But we do have to stop pretending we have no say in how this story ends.
Because if we don’t take action—someone else will. And they may not have our best interests in mind.
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”
— Albert Einstein
I was thinking about... 