Be crazy!
The theory of the crazy toad is the idea that, faced with the upheavals of the world (whether climatic, democratic, or technological), we will not get through it without the audacity of a few: those who have understood that it is necessary to take a step aside to open up paths to the future.
Behind this call to go against the grain are Thanh Nghiem, a French engineer and author ofDes abeilles et des hommes (Bayard, 2010), and Cédric Villani, a mathematician before becoming a politician, who have brought several prominent figures, scientists, and actors committed to social change on board with them.
Swimming against the tide
It all starts with a simple observation: toads live in one area and reproduce in others. Every year during mating season, they migrate in the same direction, and many are crushed on the roads we build across their path. A few, however, take a different direction or use the tunnels dug for them under the roads (provided they can find them...). By venturing away from their fellow creatures, they unwittingly open up more favorable routes thatultimately help to save the species.
Transposed to the human race, this gives us the geniuses of yesterday and today, explorers, scientists, or ordinary citizens who one day dared to break away from the norm, showing initiative, creativity, and freedom. By straying a little from the group, they invented something new, sometimes without even knowing it, and changed the world a little.
TheManifesto of the Crazy Toads(Massot, 2017) tells their story, with plenty of examples, positing that anyone, at any age and in any environment, can become a crazy toad. All you have to do is follow the guide... and respect certain principles.
Building crazy places
The first step for anyone who considers themselves a crazy toad is to find a place, an anchor point, a pond or refuge, a place of passage, encounter, and emulation; a place to gather, share, and collaborate on various projects, the purpose of which can be summed up as follows: to help the people of today bring about the people of tomorrow.
Backed by the Earth, evolving at its own pace, this place should enable those who visit it to become aware of the ecology of the world (in order to better defend it), and promote the physical experience of disconnection, which alone allows us to reconnect with nature and our inner selves.
The first step for anyone who considers themselves a crazy toad is to find a place, an anchor point, a pond or refuge, a place of passage, encounter, and emulation; a place to gather, share, and collaborate on various projects, the purpose of which can be summed up as follows: to help the people of today bring about the people of tomorrow.
Backed by the Earth, evolving at its own pace, this place should enable those who visit it to become aware of the ecology of the world (in order to better defend it), and promote the physical experience of disconnection, which alone allows us to reconnect with nature and our inner selves.
Make a revolution... with joy!
Because changing the world is too complicated and changing alone is not enough, the scale to adopt within each crazy place is that of the cohort, the group of individuals with varied profiles and backgrounds. By mixing generations, disciplines, and cultures, we promote awareness and behavioral change.
Joining the circle of crazy toads means embarking on an inner revolution that has an outward impact. It means opening up to others and to differences, keeping in mind that our greatest asset is diversity. It means venturing out together, joyfully, to pollinate minds and mobilize everyone around us.
So, to all the nonconformists, the trailblazers, the daring, the transgressive; to those who dare, who take initiative, who launch themselves and open new paths: if you too feel like a crazy toad, join us and take the risk... of changing the world!