It is popular, particularly in left-wing circles, to note the presence of systemic problems. When you know a bit about how humans behave this makes a lot of sense. We tend to adapt to the situation we are in. Economic models help drive action. Similarly, you will often see organizations “dictating” the way people in it behave. This can be positive when the organizational culture is a good one. Often, this is relatively neutral — people adopt language, dress, and customs that can look pretty quirky to outsiders but don’t really cause any harm. Systems also create problems. The challenge comes when you get to a point that the problems you recognize are all systemic. You might even write off individuals’ ability to make a difference. This is pretty discouraging and becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, people don’t believe they have any power, so they don’t have any power. A much more useful approach is believing in both personal responsibility and systemic problems. Yes, we need systemic change, but we also need individuals to be better themselves.
Awareness Isn’t Change
One the key things you see groups trying to achieve is awareness. Rutger Bregman, author of Moral Ambition, isn’t a fan of awareness raising. I’m sure all groups have this problem, but you do see a lot of this with left-wing activists. They want to raise awareness about a problem in the world, but lack of awareness alone isn’t a problem. Lots of people are aware there are problems in the world, they just don’t take action. Who cares if anyone is aware of a problem if they don’t plan to do anything about it? We need people with plans who are shooting high, expecting the world to change, not just for everyone to know what the problems are and sit around bemoaning them.
The trouble with idealists who lack ambition is they tend to prize awareness more than action. Words and intentions take precedence over deeds and consequences, and what something’s really like gets eclipsed by what it feels like. But here’s the thing: awareness alone won’t help a soul. Awareness doesn’t put food on the table. Awareness won’t keep a roof over your head. [Author’s emphasis]
Bregman, 20205, page 14
We need to want to make a real difference to the problems we see, not just acknowledge them and share the pain of those suffering.
Believing In Responsibility And Systemic Problems
This brings us to a problem that Bregman sees in the left. They want change but many seem to have adopted a philosophy that suggests individuals can’t achieve anything.
Bregman notes that, taken to the extreme, right-wing ideas that suggest we are all 100% responsible for outcomes that happen to us are a bit silly. Where you start in life is an excellent predictor of where you will end up. Always blaming the disadvantaged for their disadvantages is, at best, showing a lack of knowledge of how the world works.
Still, the opposite view isn’t any more constructive. If you think “the system” controls everything this leaves no room for humans to make it better. If you worry about climate change you should consider your own carbon footprint even while recognizing that there is nothing you alone can do to solve the problem. But your actions do matter. By taking action — let’s say you buy an EV — then you can set an example to others who may act; you also encourage businesses to sell lower-carbon goods, and you can show the government what matters to you. The people and the decisions they make are a vital part of systems.
We really need humans to want to make the world better and for that they need to know their decisions matter, because they do. Maybe not as much as you’d like but your decisions do matter.
Systemic Change Is Needed But…
Is there such a thing as the left-wing excuse? I’m talking about those privileged types who, whenever personal responsibility comes up, start hollering about changing “the system”.
Bregman, 2025, page 225
Reading this blog is pretty good evidence you have at least some privileges — you have access to a computer, can speak English, likely have a good education. Indeed, maybe you have a lot of privileges. If the system is broken, it is people with privileges who need to be working on that.
Problems Exist At Many Levels
The popularity of talking about institutional problems, e.g., structural racism or sexism, rather than focusing on racist or sexist managers is relatively new. This was useful in many ways, the world is certainly more complicated than Gary in HR being a bad guy. Still, the focus on the system has a very obvious weakness, if the system is at fault, then who should we blame. Who is responsible for fixing it?
Furthermore, is the logic that sexist bosses are just victims of the system too? Do we end up feeling sorry for Gary, who only acts the way he does because of his training and background? That seems a bit of a weird response.
Sometimes we need to blame individuals even if they are not completely responsible. We want people in positions of power to take responsibility for their actions and, critically, feel like they need to make things better going forward. We all have at least a little power to make the world better, and many of us have much more than a little. Bregman is right to say we should be doing more with it and tells us what we need to avoid. We should never accept that before we take action that:
… we first need an in-depth analysis which of course will show its all the fault of corporations and government, and advertising and algorithms, capitalism and crooks — almost anything to avoid looking in the mirror.
Bregman, 2025, page 225
It is important to understand systems, but that shouldn’t preclude individual action.
For more on progress see Recognizing Trade-offs Is Critical To Progress, Are We Making Any Progress On Sustainability?, Progress Exists And Is A Good Thing, Time Prices Are Useful But Not Everything, and Denial, Doom, Or Informed Optimism
Read: Rutger Bregman (2025) Moral Ambition: Stop wasting your talent and start making a difference, Little, Brown and Company
