To Save or To Destroy?

I appreciated themes from the posts of classmates in considering how to develop collective efficacy around a cause.  Quiannan offered the quote that suggested that if a group acknowledged that there is good work worth doing, “…it would make us save the world from now on."  This powerful and shared purpose would move us from standing beside each other with our individual self-efficacy in our own skill set toward embracing a role in a goal worth achieving together.  World changers, unite!

I can appreciate Robin’s perspective that we often hear of groups, passionate with collective efficacy, determined to do harm rather than “save the world.”  Her questions were thought-provoking: can we shift from destructive goals to redeeming ones?

Loretta and Robin both mentioned the online environment – Loretta referring to building our collective efficacy as a class through blogging, and Robin referring to damaging purposes of promoting hatred.  In the online setting, the connection between others is different from direct interaction.  How does this evoke collective efficacy in ways that face-to-face interaction may not?  Does a level of separation facilitate our ability to express ourselves more honestly, whether that be a Green New Deal advocate or a white supremacist?  Or, are we just drawn to collective efficacy in our human desire to connect with others?  I worry that we are forgetting how to genuinely connect with those sitting right in front of us, but we are built for connection.  So, when we lack genuine connection with the humans we can see, we are primed in our online settings to seek deep connection with those who would welcome us into the fold – whether for a world-saving mission that they are committed to but are doubtful will succeed or for a world-destroying mission that they are sacrificially zealous for and know they will accomplish no matter what.  Or maybe media is more interested in showcasing destructive collective work rather than progress toward causes to heal humanity, so our perception is that destructive collective efficacy holds more power?