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Scott Galloway found that organizing the 'Resist and Unsubscribe' campaign served a personal purpose: action absorbs anxiety. Moving from passive outrage to active participation, even if online, provided a sense of agency and well-being in the face of political stress, footing his online indignation with real-world action.

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The "Resist and Unsubscribe" movement is based on the premise that withdrawing economic participation is the most powerful form of protest in a market-driven society. It's a low-effort way for citizens to exert influence, as markets respond more crisply to shifts in consumer behavior than to ideological arguments.

Paralysis in the face of massive global problems like climate change or injustice is common. The antidote is not to solve everything, but to take one concrete step. Philosopher Theodore Adorno suggests picking a single issue and joining a group, as small actions collectively contribute to change.

Anxiety is largely a product of anticipating a difficult situation rather than the situation itself. The act of confronting the issue head-on—taking action—immediately reduces this anxiety by shifting your focus from a hypothetical future to the present reality of solving the problem.

Scott Galloway's "Resist and Unsubscribe" website traffic was declining until he appeared on traditional media outlets. This drove a significant resurgence in visitors, proving legacy media is crucial for amplifying and sustaining digital-native protest movements.

Online platforms can trigger overwhelming stress responses, leading to burnout and inaction. To maintain long-term engagement with causes you care about, balance online advocacy with real-world actions like volunteering or donating. This protects your nervous system and ensures your activism is sustainable.

Today's constant influx of global news, often negative, can lead to a sense of helpless paralysis. The most effective response is not to disengage but to counteract this by taking tangible action within one's own community, which restores agency and creates real impact.

Scott Galloway launched his "resistance subscribe" campaign without coordinating with other activists because he prefers immediate action over the slow, frustrating process of group consensus. This highlights a common founder trait: a bias for action, even at the cost of initial collaboration.

In a consumer-driven economy, withdrawing participation by unsubscribing from services sends a powerful market signal. This financial pressure can influence corporate behavior and government policy more effectively than traditional protests or heckling from the sidelines.

Feeling helpless from constant exposure to global crises you can't influence is a major source of modern anxiety. The solution is not to disengage entirely but to redirect your time and energy toward making a tangible impact on your family, neighborhood, and local community.

Scott Galloway's "Resistant Unsubscribe" campaign successfully sent a "signal" to the public but has not yet reconfigured the "incentives" for big tech executives. Lasting impact requires moving beyond raising awareness to creating concrete, board-level pressure that alters corporate behavior.

Taking Action, Even Keyboard Activism, Is an Antidote to Political Anxiety | RiffOn