Hashtags do not save the world — knowledge and your actions do. This was a core message I shared to inspire students to choose STEM this week. It applies just as much to us—and it was strongly reinforced at last week's Vestlandskonferansen. We live in a moment where applause is abundant, but action is rare.

Everywhere we turn, people cheer for change, share statements, send emojis, align with causes — yet the world rarely moves an inch from this alone.

Timothy Snyder put it sharply during his talk when he got applause for his statement that his US government no longer value truth:

"Your clapping and cheering does not change anything in the world."

He's right. It's not the energy in the room that creates change — it's the courage in the individual. Not the agreement, but the action.

Over the last week, through panel discussions, films, conversations, and reflections, one idea has echoed over and over again: Freedom is not free. Courage is not theoretical. Preparedness is not passive.

We want safe societies, strong democracies, and resilient organizations — but those don't emerge from good intentions, visions and mission statements. They come from people choosing to do the thing, not clap for someone else doing it.

The Dissonance We Feel

When democratic values erode, when propaganda spreads, when responsibility is avoided, we feel tension — a psychological pull toward flight or freeze. It is easier to follow than to question. Easier to look away than to confront. Easier to assume "someone else will fix it."

But here's the cost: when we follow too much we lose ourselves, and eventually we lose the society that depended on us being awake, not entertained.

Courage Lives in the Small Choices

Courage isn't a grand gesture. Most of the time, it's subtle:

The producer of Mr Nobody Against Putin said something that stayed with me:

"You always have a choice. You can follow, or you can stand against it and take action."

Most don't. A few do. Those few move the world forward.

Bravery Is Trainable

We often think bravery is a personality trait. It's not. Bravery is a muscle. It grows with use.

And the good news? Your everyday environment gives you endless repetitions.

Action Beats Alignment — Even With AI

We talk a lot about AI. Strategies, principles, opinions, concerns. But talking about AI is easy. Using it is not.

This is where the message turns inward. If action is what creates change, then AI is one of the clearest tests we have right now. Not in theory, but in practice. Not in policy decks, but in daily work. Dogfooding isn't a buzzword. It's courage in a modern form. Opening the tool. Trying it. Failing a bit. Learning. Adjusting how we think, write, decide, and solve problems.

AI will not transform our organization because we agree it matters. It will only matter if people choose to explore it, leverage it, and let it challenge their habits. Waiting for "the right use case" is just another version of clapping. Progress starts when individuals step outside their comfort zone and do the work. Preparedness isn't passive. Neither is adoption, and no one can do it for us.

What You're Left With

I want to leave you with one thought for the coming week:

If nothing changes until someone takes action — what will you choose to do?

Not what you will cheer for. Not what you will agree with. Not what you hope someone else will fix. What will you personally do?

It doesn't have to be big. It has to be real. Because applause creates feelings. Action creates change!