Naomi Klein

Gentle Power: How Quiet Kindness Transforms Systems

Consequently, gentle actions endure when they are woven into norms and rules. Policy feedback research notes that once institutions change, they create citizens who defend and extend those changes (Paul Pierson, 1993). The behavior becomes self-reinforcing: what began as risky kindness becomes common sense. Consider schools adopting restorative practices. Rather than punish, they convene students to repair harm. A large evaluation found reductions in suspensions and narrowing racial disparities (RAND, 2018). The process is soft in tone yet hard on harm, and its effects compound—today’s repaired relationship becomes tomorrow’s calmer classroom. In this way, systems are altered—quietly, and for a very long time. [...]

Dismantling Fear, One Narrow Habit First

Translate the idea into a compact experiment. Day 1: Name one narrow fear habit (for example, postponing tough emails). Day 2: Define a 2-minute version of the opposite action and set a daily cue. Day 3: Recruit an accountability partner; send a daily completion text. Day 4: Add a tiny reward you will actually feel—tea, a walk, a song. Day 5: Slightly widen the action (two emails, a longer question). Day 6: Note evidence you survived and what improved. Day 7: Decide whether to stabilize the new habit or graduate to the next fear. With each loop completed, you teach yourself a sturdier story: courage grows by repetition, and the first narrow crack is how the wall begins to fall. [...]

Transforming Fear: How Action Gives Anxiety a Home

Ultimately, Klein’s words are a rallying point for courage. By choosing action rather than avoidance, individuals and communities can reshape their relationship with fear—making it a ‘permanent host’ only insofar as it inspires ongoing vigilance and determination. In times of political unrest or environmental crisis, such as those Klein often writes about, this philosophy offers a blueprint for converting anxiety into sustained, purposeful resistance and hope. [...]