What is an ‘Antidoter’?
Antidoters (n.) The opposite of doomsayers; positive inspirers; curious thinkers-out-loud who don’t self-censor; those who trigger curiosity, surprise and challenge perceptions; ideas-catalysts for positive change..
Subscribe to meet them.
Mission
Spray Optimism. Stoke Curiosity.
Manifesto
Establish a new ‘tribe’ to transcend tribal thinking, a label that defies labelling.
Challenge the doomsayers by amplifying Antidoter content.
Reclaim genuine, positive, open-minded curiosity... a free speech zone.
Bring people together to challenge polarisation.
Be ‘for’ positive progress not ‘anti’ anything (other than binary thinking).
Context
Tribal ideology and activism is the new religion. People are perceived as either good or bad. *We catastrophize. Lived experience takes precedence over data and facts. We prefer labels over seeing the individual or exploring each other’s complexities. We enjoy outrage. We ‘cancel’. We self-censor.
(*maybe not *you* seeing as you’re here n’all - you’re an Antidoter - but perhaps you recognise and worry about the trends along these lines)
As a result society has become increasingly divided, pessimistic and depressed. We surf on a superficial wave of soundbite commentary, left to find dissenting voices or ascertain for ourselves the veracity or intention of content amidst an online explosion of it. In an attention economy, doom sells and negativity bias reigns. Statistics are cherry-picked to induce outrage and outrage-pundits and news sources reap the benefits. We are encouraged to grasp at quick, binary, short-term solutions to complicated problems which risk throwing the baby of progress out with the bathwater and/or causing new problems altogether. We have lost our appetite for nuance, despite it being where most of the answers can be found.
There are sane voices. Voices that preach optimism, or ‘other side’ narratives but they aren’t typically found on main-stream-media and whilst their following is booming, they can frequently be found falling down their own rabbit holes, rewarded by algorithms that incentivise opposing outrage, fuelling further polarisation.
Ultimately, yes, there are challenges, but we can’t fix them from a perspective of pessimism. Only through genuine curiosity, positivity and perspective can creativity flourish.
For who?
The busy, the innately curious. Those who enjoy snorkelling in the sea of ideas, but may not have the time or inclination to dive deeper frequently and when they do, resurface exhausted and/or disheartened.
The intrigued; the creative; the innovators. Anyone seeking a more positive lens through which to view the world. Those who like to challenge and explore ideas. Who want ammunition for more interesting, productive conversations.
What could ‘Antidoters’ be? You tell us…
A movement - teaching the habits of positive curiosity and open mindedness?
A go-to content zone, aggregating positive, thought-provoking content - writings, audio, video & more?
A social platform for discussion and productive dialogue?
An events platform to find events or inspirational speakers?
A publisher?
A fact-checking service?
All of the above? Anything else?
If you have thoughts, ideas or skills to bring to the mission. Get in touch.
The challenge: Is there enough desire for this, or do people actually like and prefer outrage and binary thinking? If so, could this initiative potentially be pushing water uphill in an attention economy which shows no sign of abating?
Why subscribe?
To meet the ‘Antidoters’. To follow the progress of a manifesto without product or business plan behind it…
Who’s behind it?
(Jess Butcher) but…. there’s very little interest in the cult of personal brand here. The intention is broader: to aggregate, assimilate, amplify voices and connect-dots. Reach out and DM if you’re keen to get involved or would love to submit anything for publication.
