There is a lot of good left in the human race that is not getting the acknowledgment that it deserves, and that is almost more tragic than anything that you will hear on the news.
Earlier this weekend, while I was at an airport in Paris, I watched a random person carry luggage for someone who had crutches. While I had been waiting in the rain for a bus that same day, another student shared her umbrella with me.
Though neither of these actions are “big” I know that they meant a lot to me and to the person who had been struggling with their luggage. Because of these small acts of kindness, our days were a little bit brighter.
It upsets me when I see posts on Facebook about “giving up on humanity” or “losing faith in people.” Of course, there are unspeakable crimes, and horrible people, but these actions and these people are so much less common than you think that they are. There is so much more positivity in the world than we’re giving it credit for.
For every tragedy, natural disaster or mass shooting, there are millions of dollars raised to help those affected by it and people who volunteer to help on site immediately. There are people who stop traffic on highways to save kittens. There are people who use their fame to shed light on social injustices.
The amount of passion and more relevantly, compassion, that I see every day never ceases to amaze me. I consistently see young people fighting to make the world better for those around them. As long as there are people who are willing to go out of their way for the good of others, the world will be a good place.
We must not despair, and we must never lose our faith in people. Even when it seems bleak, even when 40% of the United States thinks that a raging lunatic is fit to run it, we must focus on the good. Our culture does not encourage focusing on the good. We are surrounded by violence. But everything is not as it seems. Our culture may tell us that we should be afraid, that we are living in a violent tumultuous world, but that does not mean that we have to believe it. To quote Morrie Schwartz, “you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own. Most people can't do it.”
We need to create a culture that fosters our compassion for others and encourages it. We need to create a culture where happiness and equality are what we strive for. We need to create a culture where caring about others is more of a strength that personal gain in any capacity.
It’s easy to critique something, but it’s not nearly as easy to come up with a solution. This is a process, not an instant change. But we can create a culture that focuses more on positivity simply by being more positive ourselves. Be like the girl who shared her umbrella with me. Read articles and books that make you feel good about yourself and the world surrounding you rather than fearmongering news updates. Let’s create our own culture, and let’s make the world feel as good as it actually is.
