"This can get in the way of the work and stop new people from joining the work. It is my firm belief that if you do things that you care about with other people, you will experience conflict. And although we live in a conflict-avoidant society that tells us this is a bad thing, conflict is actually normal and inevitable. It doesn't mean anybody's doing anything wrong."
"We are living in hard times, under great stress from ecological crisis, wars, increasing poverty, widespread criminalization, and so much more. One question we can all be asking is how do we want to treat each other knowing everyone is having a hard time? I have found that burnout is not usually just a result of being tired...it was the loss of trust, the feeling of being blamed or stigmatized, or not being listened to."
"It can be hard to have a generous interpretation of others' words and actions when you're stressed out and feeling a lot of scarcity of time and resources. It can be hard to be patient and generous with kids, lovers, roommates, family members, friends, and people we are collaborating with on community projects. We could all be asking right now, what's it like to try to be generous, even when we feel defensive or afraid?"
Conflict is intense and inevitable when people collaborate on resistance or community work. High-stress conditions — ecological crisis, war, poverty, criminalization — increase sensitivity and strain relationships. Burnout often stems from loss of trust, feeling blamed or stigmatized, and not being heard rather than mere fatigue. Scarcity of time and resources makes generous interpretations and patience harder, causing small mistakes to trigger past betrayals. Simple preparations, generosity, and gentleness toward oneself and others can reduce departures from groups and sustain collective action. Asking how to treat each other under stress can guide practices that rebuild trust.
Read at Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
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