Petra Collins Quotes

Hashtag activism is a catalyst, but things have to actually happen in real life.

While everyone's purpose may be different, with social media we all have that platform to create the change we want to see in the world, and I spend a lot of time encouraging others to step up and use theirs.

In the 21st century, you have to use technology as one of the tools in the toolkit to bring about social change.

For young people I like to talk about unleashing your integrity, because I tie it to social media and how careful we have to be about being consistent online with who we really are.

I have a twitter, but I try to not talk about things like, "Oh, I had a grapefruit this morning and it was delicious," because, who cares? But, I think it can serve as a platform for talking about things that matter to me, like the organizations that I work with. As pretentious as that sounds, it is true. You can really make a difference, if you can create a following and actually represent who you are, as opposed to how people want to portray you. But, I don't know what the balance is.

I support the truth, that is all there is to it. And if you fall in that category of the truth, you are supported by the truth.

There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.

The two parts of technology that lower the threshold for activism and technology is the Internet and the mobile phone. Anyone who has a cause can now mobilize very quickly.

One must live the way one thinks or end up thinking the way one has lived.

The young people I know judge leaders by their deeds and abhor hypocrisy. Inconsistency and point-scoring do not win respect. It's not easy to be engaged in political debate when it is reduced to performers trying to outdo each other. Actions from leaders must mirror the values they claim to espouse.

Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet - thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing - consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust.

Society has changed so dramatically that it's empowered the individual, and technology has a lot to do with that. Years ago, if you had a bad experience at a restaurant, you could complain to the manager. Maybe you could picket. Now, you go online and write a review that may go viral.

You are in integrity when the life you are living on the outside matches who you are on the inside.

To show that a comedian on stage in India talking about sanitation or in South Africa talking about HIV and AIDS awareness, if you follow the joke into their lives, you can see that, like, oh, these things aren't just contrived in joke books. This is real life. I think the best comedians have that bravery and courage to say, Oh, this is what it is.

You have to really prove yourself to young people, and if your answer is clear and consistent and loving - even if it's angry and disappointed - what's important is that you're being real and honest and not going anywhere.

People will support somebody who they think believes what he says and stands for.

I'm blessed to have a platform that allows me to speak to many at once. I recognize that I can make consciousness a tangible thing for young people.

A hashtag is not a movement.

People are quick to form opinions online, but they're also quick to change them. If you have an opinion, stand by it and see it through. I stand by what I put up.

We're all guilty of slacktivism, or of feeling like a savior for taking two seconds of your day to think about someone else.

What's cool is when people send me messages or tag me in their photos, which definitely happens more after a project comes out. The best part, I think, is that the DMs and tags are always from young girls, and reaching them is the most important thing for me.

I'm very active on social media and see the huge impact it has on engaging with fans and being able to have a voice.

Twitter, it can be said, completely changed the way activism is done, who can participate, and even how we define it.

For me, politics is about passion. It doesn't matter what you know; it's your actions that count. I meet people who say they're socialists, and that's not what they carry out in their everyday life.

I am humble enough to understand there are many people who know much more than I do on many subjects, so I listen to them. Integrity is also critical to leadership, so I believe there must always be alignment between what you think, say, and do.