Shape or Shame Society? Influencing Change Thoughtfully

"Is history a circle or a line?"

I've been asked this question many times and even in my more absolutist years I had the inkling that the question just wasn't that easy.

After all, if you ask the average tech enthusiast, I'm sure you'll find them leaning linear! The manipulation of fire to the landing of a Mars rover is pretty progressive!

But if you were to ask a political theorist, they might say it's cyclical as they've observed humankind's ebb and flow of governed society over the millenia without many (if any) novel concepts in sight.

Personally, I find the most curious position views history not as a straight line or cycle, but as a graph with varying levels of status that we may return to or permanently surpass overtime.

The optimist in me likes to imagine it has an upward trajectory! But I feel that would be a rather brash and bold stance to take lightly.

For this post, though, it doesn't really matter if it's cyclical, linear, or a graph with upward and downward leaps and bounds.

What's important to note is that we're moving.

Society is changing. It always has been and always will be.

We're all in positions to influence societal change.

Our influence is found in how we relate to family and friends, raise our kids, supervise employees, interact with colleagues, pastor congregations, engage clients, teach students, vote, write, donate, work, and volunteer in the community.

These interactions, big and small, contribute to the direction of society’s momentum. This is a profound responsibility, and how we choose to wield it shapes not only the world around us but also the world for those yet to come.

The question, then, is not just how we influence societal change but why and to what end. Too often, the impulse is to pull back the reins when the changes we see make us uncomfortable or when they challenge our values. It’s easy to romanticize the past, to think back to what we perceive as "better times," and to fear losing the familiar. This is human nature — nostalgia is a powerful lens. But clinging too tightly to a perceived "golden age" can blind us to the reality that every age, including the one we long for, was imperfect and incomplete in its own way.

Instead of throttling societal change or leading it with a fearful heavy hand, we have the opportunity to guide it forward thoughtfully. By sharing the wisdom gained from what was, we can illuminate the path ahead without insisting that the future must look exactly like the past.

By sharing the wisdom gained from what was, we can illuminate the path ahead without insisting that the future must look exactly like the past.

The key is to approach change not as a threat to what we hold dear but as a natural evolution — one that we can shape with curiosity and courage rather than with fear and resistance.

This doesn’t mean passively accepting everything as progress. It means discerning where guidance is needed, where experience can help refine or redirect new ideas, and where it’s best to let go and allow fresh perspectives to lead. It’s about balancing wisdom with humility — recognizing that while we may have much to teach, we also have much to learn.

So let’s ask ourselves: In our own way, are we guiding society forward with curiosity and wisdom? Are we nurturing the seeds of change that will lead to flourishing, or are we trying to uproot them because they don’t look like the seeds we planted years ago? Are we influencing change thoughtfully?

Are we nurturing the seeds of change that will lead to flourishing, or are we trying to uproot them because they don’t look like the seeds we planted years ago?

As society moves — whether in a cycle, a line, or a jagged graph of ups and downs — we are its caretakers. We can influence its trajectory, not by clinging to what was but by contributing to what will be. Let’s guide with open minds, steady hands, and hopeful hearts, trusting that even when the path ahead seems unclear, the act of moving forward is itself a sign of life, growth, and possibility.

Even when the path ahead seems unclear, the act of moving forward is itself a sign of life, growth, and possibility.

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Disclaimer:

These thoughts are presented with curiosity, wonder, and a sense of discovery.

There is so much scholarly material around religion, history, sociology, and psychology (realms I spend much of my time in). While that is immensely valuable and should be consulted when lives are at stake, I'd never produce anything if I required myself to scour these depths before voicing my thoughts which I believe to contain value and worth.

As such, it would not surprise me if my conclusions change in the future. And I hope it doesn't surprise you. That change of mind could come tomorrow, or it could come years from now. Curiosity isn't concrete. Trying to make it so robs it of its strength and beauty. As you read, I hope you will remember this - on my behalf and on yours.