"I Shall Not Be Moved" | Phrase Maze

The Gentle Rebel Podcast

In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I pick up on points made in our recent Kota discussion, touching on some physical, emotional, and creative interpretations of the phrase, I shall not be moved.

First Impressions

What does “I Shall Not Be Moved” mean to you? What comes to mind when you hear those words?

We spoke about it as a mantra of determination underpinning the refusal to waver or abandon a chosen path, even in the face of adversity.

Gandalf popped his head in. His iconic declaration,“You shall not pass!” on the bridge in Kazakh-dûm. Interestingly, the movie changes the line from “you cannot pass” to “you shall not pass”. Is there a difference here? And what happens when we through “you will not pass” into the mix?

Do will, shall, and can all mean the same thing or are the subtle differences?

Do “I shall not be moved”, “I cannot be moved”, and “I will not be moved” sound different? I explore this question because I think they do.

Part 1: Physical Resilience and Nature

I love the idea of nature as a rebel. It finds a way and it surprises us with the way it refuses to move as we expect.

The Ginkgo Tree: Known as a “living fossil,” the ginkgo trees that survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb represent resilience. This species, nicknamed “the bearer of hope,” remains unmoved by history’s trials, a true testament to survival.

Unwanted Weeds: Weeds push up through concrete, embodying the persistence of life in the most unexpected places. Nature does not always evoke feelings of grace!

The Power of Water: Water exemplifies resilience through flow and adaptability. It always finds a way.

Glacial Erratic Boulders: Erratic boulders are seemingly impossible to budge, yet they are not exempt from the truth that “everything moves”. It’s all a matter of perspective and timing.

Natural Pathways: People and slime mould are not so different after all.

Part 2: Emotional Protection—Choosing Not to Be Moved

When it’s a choice vs a pattern

• If I AM moved, this is an injunction or an internalised story
• If I am NOT moved, you can’t force me to feel things
• If I am moved because you are manipulating me, I will choose not to show it
• If it’s not OK to be moved here/with you, I will move somewhere else

Safety in the System

If it feels safe, I am free to choose whether or not I want to express my emotional response. This happens when I don’t react to the pressure to fit in or please others. I don’t feel “watched”, “observed”, or “judged”. My feelings can move freely like slime mould. They will find their way through me and go where they need to go.

Moving The Body

We watched the section in Coming To Our Senses (Belonging), where Ania talked about reconnecting with herself through bodily movement. Her beautiful photos from Uist document a progressive unshackling from the story, “I can’t dance” to one of “my body wants to move”.

Part 3: Standing Firm Amid Pressure and Criticism

“The purpose of poetry is to remind us how difficult it is to remain just one person.” – Czeslaw Milosz

Everything moves and everything changes. We considered Bob Dylan’s first electric tour and the backlash he received in its face.

His guitarist, Robbie Robertson talked about how they got together during the tour and listened to what they had been doing. They realised their new music was good, and the audience was wrong. I love this!

The audience is a mountain – it feels unmovable right now, like it will never change. But it will. It won’t remain one person. People will come and go, others will stagnate, and new people will arrive. That’s OK. Don’t let fear dictate the direction when you know which path you want to take.

We shouldn’t expect people to stay the same. We always grow, we change, we move.

Creative Support: Dylan also received support from other artists, such as The Beatles, who encouraged him with the direction he had taken. Creative confidence is about knowing who to listen to and what you are unwilling to compromise.

Who are the supportive people for you? Those who know YOU and get what you’re about. Those who you respect and trust to give quality, meaningful, good faith feedback.

Part 4: “No Matter Who Wins”

Rebecca Faulkner is an award-winning poet and managing director of Reasons To Be Cheerful, who collected reader responses to the question: “No matter who wins, __.” She turned some of the responses into this poem.

https://youtu.be/ce6F4qgoM_c

We might use this as an anchoring prompt, applying it to various uncertain outcomes (beyond our control). For example:

• No matter who wins, I will stick to my values.
• No matter if I succeed, I can remain committed to what matters.
• No matter the outcome, I am in control of my response.

“I shall not be moved” can mean reaching for slow, steady, intentional anchors in the face of uncertain prospects.

Part 5: Rebels Who Refuse to Move

In Coming To Our Senses, we thought about Rebels Who Refused To Move. People who didn’t yield to external pressure or power. Who or what comes to mind when you think about rebels who refused to move?

Perhaps you have personal experiences and there are times when YOU have been that rebel.

Whether through the fear of threats or the allure of a pay off, these people are unshakable because of a deeper strength. Something that matters more to them than their own survival, prosperity, comfort, or peace of mind. We might think of examples such as, the movement for Civil Rights, the Suffragettes, environmental groups etc.

Part 6: When “I Shall Not Be Moved” Becomes Self-Defeating

Being resistant top movement can lead to self-sabotage, holding us back when we remain unmoved or inflexible.

Resilience is not the same as building a wall and refusing to listen. A stubborn “I shall not be moved” can lead to isolation when we shut out others’ perspectives. Solid boundaries, on the other hand, might be thought of as choosing whether or not to respond once we’ve heard what is said.

Resilience involves knowing when to hold firm and when to bend or adapt.

“I Shall Not Be Moved” – My Trousers

Thanks to Tuula, we finished with this video of me trying to glide down an ice slide. My trousers were resolute in their protest. “Nope, I shall not be moved,” they said, ” even by ice.”

Watch The Kota Replay

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