Can't Not Do: The Compelling Social Drive that Changes Our World

Appendix 5Chapter-by-Chapter Summary

Prologue: The Power of Can't Not Do

“I can't not do this.” “It's not that I can do this, it's that I can't not. I don't have time to not make an impact.” “I could not imagine not.” I don't remember the first person I heard use one of these grammatically incorrect phrases. You've heard of can-do people, but the regular heroes you will meet in this book go way beyond “can do.” They can't not do. They make a decision—at some point in their lives—that there is something, some burning issue, that they can't not do something about. There is a reason, a power, in why they say “can't not do.” These people have found a cause that grabbed them and wouldn't let go. It made them dig deeper and find the conviction and dedication to jump into the issue for the long haul.

Introduction: Why Our Social Drives Matter More Now—The Multipliers

Far more than ever before, in the past 10 to 20 years, just a few people can do so much. Advances in technology, connectedness, and globalization are converging to become force multipliers that can either increase the magnitude of our social problems or accelerate the solutions to them. The concept of force multipliers refers to a combination of attributes that make a given force more effective than that same force would be without those attributes. These forces for social progress (or decline) are at an historic tipping point. With a growing sense of urgency, we ultimately need more committed people to become the difference ...