Leftists Need to Learn How to Celebrate a Win

My hot take of the day.

Being a leftist is tiring. You constantly take hits, from what seems like every end of the political spectrum. You face governments that are vehemently against your beliefs, and a society that is programmed to believe that leftist ideas could never be implemented, at least not in our lifetime.

I usually give news updates in my substack, but I woke up feeling drained, tired, and burnt out. As I spent my morning doomscrolling, like I usually do when I have no motivation, I realized something pivotal: leftists lack the ability to celebrate wins.

Before I get loads of hate, I want to make a couple of things extremely clear:

1. This is not about a single event, this is a generalized realization

2. I understand this is a hot take, you don’t have to agree

As a content creator who has made leftist videos for almost 3 years, I find myself yearning for grains of good news. Just one, even if it comes with an equal amount of negative news. Looking at the negative outcome of every news update is exhausting and will only help you live a miserable life.

The truth about being a leftist is that we always take one step forward, 10 steps back, especially with the Trump administration. Some days I find myself hanging by a thread, but if I don’t hold hope, why would I expect anyone else to? My platform is small, but thousands of people watch my videos daily. I can’t give up. I don’t have that choice.

To stay hopeful, we need to celebrate the wins. It doesn’t matter how small they are. It doesn’t matter how they might come with negative points. We can acknowledge the news's negative points while celebrating the small win. And no one should feel ashamed for that.

Leftists are known for eating each other alive. It’s how it’s always been historically. Unlike Republicans, who typically align on most views, leftists tend to land on a large array of different opinions and political views. It’s easy to look at someone who doesn’t precisely politically align with you and point fingers at them, I’ve seen political content creators on the left do it all the time.

I do not want to sound like the “kumbaya” type of political analyst/commentator, because trust me, it irritates me when political commentators lack nuance and suggest that everyone should come together and break bread. Especially when many people on the other end of the political spectrum are pretty aligned with fascism, no, I won’t break bread with someone who doesn’t believe in my fundamental human rights, and you shouldn’t either. (Although I do not think that every Republican is a fascist, they have their spectrum too).

But as people who land on the left end of the spectrum, we should at least try our best to get along, collaborate and celebrate the wins together. Because if we don’t have community, if we don’t celebrate the victories, if we don’t work together, how will we rise above fascism and beat Trump? No, I don’t like the two-party system, but it’s what we are working with right now. Unless someone starts a revolution, it’s all we have (as far as federal political structure).

You don’t have to agree with me, or you can agree with parts of what I am saying. I’m just glad you’re still here.

Being a leftist is undeniably exhausting.

The constant pushback from the right and the very systems we aim to change can feel like an endless battle. However, we cannot let ourselves become trapped in a cycle of perpetual struggle without ever acknowledging the victories, no matter how small they seem.

Our mental well-being and collective resilience must celebrate those wins, to hold on to hope, and to find solidarity within our diverse spectrum of beliefs.

We may not always agree on everything, and that’s okay. But if we want to move forward and overcome our challenges, we must find ways to unite, support one another, and keep pushing for progress.