A lot of problems which collectives will have can be traced to the work habits acquired in the (mass) movement. People perpetuate the passive roles they have become accustomed to in large meetings. The emphasis on mass participation means that all you have to do is show up. Rarely, do people prepare themselves for a meeting, nor do they feel the need to. Often this situation does not become evident precisely because the few people who do work (those who run the meeting) create the illusion of group achievement.
Because people see themselves essentially as objects and not as subjects, political activity is defined as an event outside them and in the future. No one secs themselves making the revolution and. therefore, they don’t understand how it will be accomplished.
The short span of attention is one tell tale symptom of instant politics. The emphasis on responding to crisis seems to contract the span of attention-in fact there is often no time dimension at all. This timelessness is experienced as the syncopation of overcommitment. Many people say they will do things without really thinking out carefully whether they have the time to do them. Having time ultimately means defining what you really want to do. Over-
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