A little do-ocracy goes a long way

One of the canons of the Burning Man culture is if something needs to be done, it is generally better to let people want to do the thing actually do the thing – assuming they have the aptitude and they can find the resources. I realize Burning Man may seem to be the opposite of the plight of Portland’s most vulnerable community, and in many ways it is. 

But one area where the two communities can come together is the idea of the “do-acracy.” Do-acracy means doing something that needs to be done without waiting for someone else to tell someone else to do it. The idea of do-ocracy is what led members of the Burning Man community to start a large, global charity on their own. Do-ocracy is not unlimited: don’t perform road maintenance on public roadways, don't correct minor gramatical gaffes of others, for example. Perhaps performing surgical procedures for the uninitiated is something to be frowned upon. Do-ocracy doesn’t suggest that one person should muscle everyone else out of the way or bully or suppress people. The thing the doer seeks to accomplish should be for the benefit of everyone without causing harm. 

What do-ocracy does suggest is something within reason; to equate it to our mission, that may be helping a few people get medication who may otherwise not have access to it. If they get the help they need, maybe they can help other people who maybe need medication and counseling. They’re just doing what they can without putting themselves in harm’s way. 

To use a local, but hypothetical, example, if maybe Joe, the owner of Sesame Donuts, where I’m sitting to write this, sees one of the inhabitants of the Park Blocks right outside his door start on the road to recovery, he may find he has some odd jobs to do. He may pay more than market value for the work or give them some lunch or something – the idea being helping a neighbor, not making an immediate profit – but he may not have been compelled to act if not for the actions of others. The people now getting some help still need shelter, but they’re on their way. If they can maybe look after a neighbor and help them along. 

My understanding of the psychology is that if people have a sense of agency, they are more likely to help others. If current philosophical and psychological theories of communication suggest that people build community through disseminating information and having open and inclusive societies sets the stage for prosperity and stability, then including everyone in the daily discourse benefits everyone. 

My point is that if everyone did what they could while dispatching the idea that small efforts are worthless then we can accomplish whatever we need to.