# From hesitation to collective action | Eva Thuijsman | TEDxWageningenUniversity Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmB4GM_Y6uw Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/FmB4GM_Y6uw Generated: 2026-03-02T17:03:15.277+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Eva Thuijsman argues that overcoming paralysis and fear of failure—often stemming from perfectionism—is crucial for fostering collective action and creating pathways toward better futures, using the analogy of mimicking animal herd behavior to illustrate interdependence and shared purpose. **Key Points:** - The speaker recounts an experience of "doomscrolling" and witnessing a girl physically pushing a thin glass plate, illustrating a moment of intense focus amidst chaos. - The speaker describes realizing that many people feel small, alone, and powerless when observing injustices, mirroring the feeling of being a small sparrow. - She details a public art project called "The Herd" involving 100 strangers in Paris recreating the movements of a herd of animals (like zebras and gorillas) to raise awareness about climate change. - The project was difficult and straining, requiring multiple people to move the life-sized, heavy cardboard animals, but it emphasized interdependence and collaboration. - The speaker realized that the fundamental connection among the participants was not agreement, but the shared desire to contribute to the city and fight loneliness. - The core lesson learned was that progress requires moving together, rather than waiting for perfect clarity or acting independently; collaboration overcomes the feeling of powerlessness. - The speaker, identifying as a recovering perfectionist, emphasizes that individuals must stop waiting for perfect ideas and instead engage in collective, imperfect action to create change. ![Screenshot at 00:08: The speaker, Eva Thuijsman, begins her presentation on stage at TEDxWageningenUniversity, setting the scene for her story about collective action.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FmB4GM_Y6uw/00-00-08.jpg) **Context:** Eva Thuijsman delivers a TEDx talk at Wageningen University, focusing on the theme of collective action and overcoming personal barriers like perfectionism and fear of failure. She uses a personal anecdote involving a public art project in Paris called "The Herd," where participants enacted the movements of wild animals to raise awareness about climate change, as a central metaphor for how interdependence and shared effort are necessary to tackle large-scale problems. ## Detailed Analysis Eva Thuijsman begins by describing an incident of "doomscrolling" where she saw a girl struggling to push a thin glass plate toward an edge, an image that stuck with her. She explains that many people feel small, alone, and powerless when witnessing injustices, comparing this feeling to being a tiny sparrow. To counteract this feeling of paralysis, she participated in a public art project called "The Herd" in Paris during the summer. This project involved 100 strangers recreating the movements of a herd of animals—like gorillas, zebras, and lions—to draw attention to climate change impacts. The cardboard animals were life-sized and heavy, requiring collaborative effort and physical strain, which taught her the importance of interdependence. She notes that the people involved—artists, entrepreneurs, students, retirees—didn't necessarily agree on everything, but they were united by the desire to contribute to the city and combat loneliness. The speaker, admitting she is a recovering perfectionist, concludes that waiting for perfect clarity or ideas is counterproductive; instead, people must start moving together, even imperfectly, to enact change and support each other, moving from individual paralysis to collective action. ### The Anecdote - Doomscrolling and the Glass Plate: Speaker recounts seeing a girl struggle to push a thin glass plate slowly towards an edge, symbolizing a focused effort against overwhelming pressure. ### The Feeling of Powerlessness - Many people feel small, alone, and powerless when witnessing injustices, like a tiny sparrow, leading to inaction. ### The Herd Art Project - Last summer, 100 strangers in Paris participated in an art project to mimic the movements of animals (gorillas, zebras, lions) to raise awareness about climate change disasters. ### Collaboration and Strain - The project involved moving heavy, life-sized cardboard animals, which required intense teamwork and highlighted interdependence among diverse participants (artists, students, retirees). ### Shared Connection - The unifying element among participants was not agreement but a shared desire to contribute to the city and fight loneliness, fostering connection rather than division. ### The Lesson Learned - Progress demands moving together, even imperfectly, rather than waiting for perfect solutions or acting independently; this collective movement overcomes feelings of powerlessness. ### Personal Reflection - The speaker, identifying as a recovering perfectionist, encourages starting action now, even if imperfect, because collective movement is what ultimately facilitates change. ![Screenshot at 00:04: The title card displays the theme: "REWRITING THE NARRATIVE".](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FmB4GM_Y6uw/00-00-04.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:20: Speaker Eva Thuijsman introduces herself on stage at the TEDxWageningenUniversity event.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FmB4GM_Y6uw/00-00-20.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:34: A wide shot reveals the audience seated in the historic church venue watching the speaker.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FmB4GM_Y6uw/00-00-34.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:16: Thuijsman uses physical gestures to illustrate the narrative of animals moving during a hot summer day in Paris.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FmB4GM_Y6uw/00-01-16.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:02: The speaker describes the cardboard animals used in her art project, which were life-sized and heavy.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/FmB4GM_Y6uw/00-02-02.jpg)