This post is kind of lengthy, and for that I apologize. I believe strongly in what I have to say and I feel the need to share it. I'm seriously going to try and revive this blog now as well.
on to my real post...
Today I decided to read all of the articles in my newest issue of the Smithsonian magazine I've subscribed to. While reading, I noticed a trend among the successful people in the articles: compassion. Pardis Sabeti is one of those successful people. She is known for her work in genetics and what genes are advantageous to combat lethal illnesses. The major thing I picked up on while reading though, was her eagerness and drive to do something good for the world: to make a difference. She says at the end of the article, "My kind of, like, goal is to help train students to be good people as well as good scientists."
Bryan Stevenson, in the article about his efforts to represent and protect children from receiving the same penalties for crimes as adults and to protect people from receiving the death penalty, makes the connection that we only view the death penalty as okay because we think we have found a humane way to do it. We wouldn't rape someone as punishment for their rape crimes, and we wouldn't assault someone as punishment for their assault crimes. So why do we think it's okay to kill people, regardless of their crimes?
This is a question I personally have struggled with. It makes more sense economically to kill someone versus sentencing them to life imprisonment, but does that justify the murder? I'm not so sure.
Too many times we have justified or looked away from things that would be considered wrong if not for the economic benefit. I think our societal view on economy has desensitized us to that which is truly important: our morals.
It is human nature to make mistakes, but is it not human nature to also want to help others if the opportunity arises and we are aware and capable to help? I think it is. This is shown by the general public when the truth comes out about how some beef cattle are inhumanely slaughtered, when we hear stories of those civilians affected by civil war in some other country, or when we hear the stories of orphaned girls in China when their parents desert them because they wanted a boy. It's these personal heart-wrenching stories that reach us and make us want to do something. It's those things that bring out our compassion.
We have become subdued by all of the material things in this world, money being probably the main one, and by the idea that one person can't make a difference. Let me make one thing very clear. One person, yes even you, can make a difference. You can. I can. Your crazy aunt can. Your college roommate can. Your best friend from third grade can. You know why? Because you already have. You are. You will continue to for the rest of your life.
Think about all of the people you've met. Okay, now name 5 people who didn't impact you in some way. It doesn't have to be a profound way. They could have impacted you just by being friendly upon meeting them for the first time. Or maybe they weren't friendly. That's an impact too.
If other people impact you so easily, then why do you think you're the anomaly? Why are you the one who can't make a difference? See where I'm going with this? You can make a difference; you have no choice really. Do something positive with it. Bring back compassion.
Random acts of kindness go through stages of where it's "cool" and "popular" to do things of that sort, and then there are times when it's rare for them to happen. How sad is that? How lost are we that an act of kindness is cause for such surprise? It should never be some big shock, because we should all practice kindness. We should all develop our sense of compassion.
So many studies have shown that helping others, whether it be children, adults, or even animals, makes people way more happy than money ever could. So why is society still so focused on money? Does money ever really make you successful if you harm people in the process? Are you successful if you look away during horrible atrocities in order to increase your profit? Are you successful if you could easily help someone, but just choose not to because it would be unpopular to do so? No. No you aren't. So please, wake up! Don't let society's standards and ideas subdue you. Help make the world a better place because you can. All you need to do to start is help bring back compassion to our world, one person at a time. Lead by example. When people see what you're doing and how it affects you, they will follow. It's what we do. Be the ripple in the water that grows and grows until the whole world is washed in that same water. Let's help the change! Be compassionate and make your difference meaningful.
