In reply to someone on an otherwise unrelated matter, I was trying to explain why it doesn't matter what he thinks his movement is about: what counts is what people perceive it to be about. My response applies to all movements, so I thought I would post the main part here for self-reflection and comment.

It is a tough reality of activism that what people think you mean is what you represent, to them. You might have meant something completely different, you might even be misrepresented by a third party (very common), but other people's perception is what counts.

If you are part of an organisation or movement, it is how others perceive that organisation or movement that usually determines its effectiveness. Good luck with trying to change that: you will spend a lot of time correcting people about what is meant, and very little time actually making a difference.