I’ve noticed something about ideological movements that start with good intentions—they often end up doing more harm than good. It’s like they begin with this powerful sense of purpose, driven by the desire to fix what’s broken or uplift those who’ve been ignored. At first, their energy feels refreshing, even inspiring, because it taps into a shared frustration with injustice or inequality. But somewhere along the way, the focus shifts. And what starts as a push for positive transformation slowly morphs into something else entirely. So, instead of staying true to the cause, these movements often get tangled up in their own rules, their own dogmas, and their own need for control, where the initial desire to create fairness or restore balance gets overshadowed by an obsession with enforcing conformity, and before long, the movement becomes indistinguishable from the very systems it was fighting against.

What’s ironic about all of this is that many of these groups end up replicating the very same behaviors that they were trying to challenge in the first place. They end up becoming rigid, controlling, policing thought and speech, demanding total agreement, and punishing those who don’t fall in line with their worldview, where in their attempts to bring change, they abandon the tolerance and openness that likely drew people in at the start. So, instead of fostering honest dialogue or allowing room for complexity, they create echo chambers where dissent is treated as betrayal and curiosity is viewed as disloyalty. Thus, it’s no longer about creating real change—it’s about maintaining power, enforcing narratives, and silencing those who question the direction things are heading. And the worst part? They do it all while convincing themselves they’re still on the right side of history, blind to the fact that their movement has become yet another machine for control and coercion.

I think it happens because people lose sight of the bigger picture. They get so caught up in pushing their ideas forward that they stop asking whether their methods are actually helping or hurting. And instead of encouraging individuality, growth, and critical thinking, these movements foster groupthink and emotional reactivity. They rally people around outrage rather than solutions, and outrage—while powerful in short bursts—can’t sustain meaningful, lasting change. Because as it turns out, when you build a movement on anger instead of wisdom, it eventually burns out—or worse, it burns people, and in that process, those who disagree or that even just offer constructive criticism are often scapegoated, leaving the movement more isolated and disconnected from the world around it. And it’s this lack of self-awareness that causes ideological movements to spiral into dysfunction, despite their initial promises of progress and liberation.

In my own life, I’ve learned to be cautious around ideologies that claim to have all the answers, because the truth is, life isn’t that simple. Because it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of feeling like you’re part of something bigger than yourself, especially when it seems like the movement is speaking directly to the frustrations and struggles you’ve carried for so long. But real transformation doesn’t come from forcing everyone into the same mold, silencing dissenting voices, or pretending we’re all the same. It comes from respecting differences, embracing nuance, and having the courage to question even the things we think we’re sure of. And that’s not something most movements are willing to do, because it requires humility, adaptability, and a willingness to evolve—qualities that are often sacrificed in the pursuit of ideological purity.

So, for me at least, at the end of the day, I’d rather stand alone in my authenticity than be swept up in a movement that sacrifices truth for popularity. And I’ve come to realize that real change isn’t measured by how many people agree with us or how loud the message gets. It’s measured by the depth of the impact we leave behind, even if that impact doesn’t show up in ways that are immediately visible. So, the movements that last aren’t necessarily the ones that dominate the spotlight—they’re the ones that plant seeds of growth and that also allow those seeds to take root naturally, without trying to force the outcome. That’s the kind of transformation I want to be part of—the kind that isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo but does so without losing its soul in the process.

– Leeo Christopher