when folks say "we shouldn't thank people for doing the bare minimum" what they're really saying is "i don't understand the power of positive reinforcement and would rather die on the hill of ideological purity than see actual growth in the people i'm supposedly trying to reach"

you know how you get people to change? give them positive affirmation for every tiny step in the right direction.

you know how you get people to stay in their mental ruts of harmful thinking? shame them for doing the "bare minimum" as soon as they begin to shift.

it's fantastic that you were born into the world as a perfectly formed progressive thinker and never had to grow or mature or change your mind or unlearn years of programming from your oppressive communities of origin.

not everyone is so lucky.

if you want to see people line up for the causes you care about, celebrate them when you see them moving in a positive direction.

if you want to maintain a strong in/out division between yourself and the regressive other so that your ego feels good, keep shaming folks.

if you don't have the space to do the emotional labor of acknowledging growth, don't! but don't shit on other people who do. it may feel ideologically fulfilling, but everything we know about behavioral psychology tells us that you're sabotaging the possibility of real change.