When The Body Politic Has a Fever
Have y’all noticed we’re in the midst of winter and yet seeing signs of overheating everywhere around us? At the national and international level in the form of protests and polarization, in our organizations as conflict and urgency, and in our individual bodies as exhaustion and burnout. It’s painful, it’s obvious, and it's definitely not random.
This is what happens/what we notice when the collective body/body politic has a fever. It’s a sign that something deep inside our shared systems needs attention. Like an individual human body, a collective body often experiences inflammation at the site of harm/infection.
Fevers are a particular kind of heat, and like all fire, it can be protective or destructive. How do we know when the heat we feel is part of healing, and when it’s starting to harm? The fever points to a problem, but is not the problem itself. Our task is not to suppress the heat, but to organize around it, to find the root cause and address what is needed to repair. It’s up to us to manage it wisely, tend it collectively, and to make sure the burn leads to recovery rather than collapse. Tending to what has caused the fever is the key.
Fevers are not failures; they are signals pointing to what the body (individual or collective) wants to repair.
So what do we do when it’s getting hot in here? Remember, as facilitators and organizers, our job is to be the thermostat, not the thermometer.
Notice that the temperature is rising: increased agitation, more energy for organizing, ‘spontaneous’ or emergent protest, quiet “lethargic” movement where there had previously been energy
Observe what that heat is doing and where it’s coming from: Is it clear what underlying condition is causing the heat? Consider what can be healed / remedied at the source
Connect rather than contain: Who is agitating? For what and from what deeply held commitment, value, or desire? Concentrate on what will change and be transformed by the heat
Direct rather than suppress the heat/energy: Where does the heat need to go to affect change? (*hint* it’s usually structural, not personal. So it will likely take time and effort to sustain the transformation)
The body politic, like any body, learns through repetition. Each time we choose organization over chaos, clarity over reactivity, we build muscle memory for the future we’re creating.
As adrienne maree brown writes in Emergent Strategy, “Small is all.” The body heals cell by cell, choice by choice, practice by practice. Our collective healing is no different. We find the temperature rising as the source demands more attention and change. Those are the places where amends, systems changes, healing, and care need to focus.
So as the fever rises, let’s remember: the heat is information. The discomfort is data. Our task is to listen closely enough to know when to cool down, when to rest, and when to keep the heat moving in the direction of healing change.