Things I Learned Along the Way — Huck’s Fiftieth Anniversary Special collects lessons learned and creative advice from fifty of the most inspiring people we know. Each day we’ll be sharing a new excerpt from the magazine. Today, comedian turned revolutionary Russell Brand explains that the focus and force of the revolution are the communities fighting for survival against social cleansing.

#31 – Russell Brand

The flamboyant Essex-born comedian Russell Brand is an unlikely revolutionary. He rose to fame before ending up in rehab for sex and heroin addiction, with his personal turmoil and excess all played out before the cameras. Brand knows how to command attention, but it’s the personal stories that surround him that resonate the loudest. So, what finally opened his eyes to the need for change?

“Not feeling a sense of personal connection to what’s happening. You’re told that you’re supposed to get rich and famous and be happy and consume. If you’ve tried that and it doesn’t work, what do you do? It means that everything they’re telling us isn’t true. Capitalism doesn’t work, consumerism doesn’t work. What works is community.”

“The only people that matter are people like Jasmin, people that are directly affected and just get on with it. I’m really interested in local activism where people are taking a stand to participate in new systems now that the obvious super structures around us are dissolving. […] It’s over the minute we go, ‘We’ve seen your system and it’s wonderful, what a delightful suit and tie you’re wearing but we’re gonna just get on and build the kind of society we want.’”

This is just a short excerpt from Huck’s Fiftieth Special, a collection of fifty personal stories from fifty inspiring lives.

Grab a copy now to read all fifty stories in full. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss another issue.