There are times it seems human decency has disappeared. You read story after story about horrific acts of violence and can’t fathom how the world got so fucked up. Then every now and then you see things that renew your faith in humanity.
I watched “What Would You Do?” for the first time last night and was struck by how strangers would step in when the situation had nothing to do with them. Granted this didn’t happen all the time and those who intervened weren’t always good Samaritans. But when they were they didn’t hesitate to help and call out the person for being a jerk.
Yeah like any reality show, things were scripted to an extent and edited to ratchet up the drama, but at its core “What Would You Do?” asks us to examine ourselves and how we interact with other people.
Are we going to be a society where everyone fends for themselves, or one were we help each other out? Many of the problem we face today are because of the tension between these world views, but it needn’t be this way. A balance can be struck between helping those in need and allowing people to pick themselves up by working hard.
Instead of waiting for some messiah to appear lets get to work fixing things now. While politicians are busy snipping at each other and fighting over the budget things are getting worse. The answer is to do what we can to make our communities better and vote in candidates who represent our values.
The problem is people don’t want to be the first to take a stand because they fear rejection and ridicule. You’ve been in a situation where you know there’s a problem, but because no else says something you don’t either in case it’s “just you.”
Putting yourself out there is hard. I know. You feel like what you have to say doesn’t matter because you’re not an expert. Why should people follow you anyways? What credentials do you have and what qualifies you to speak on behalf of others?
I’m still struggling with these questions because the concept of leading others doesn’t sit well with me. I’ve always been more inclined to go my own way and point out what’s wrong with the world. But anyone can criticize without offering solutions. So instead of bitching for the sake of bitching I’m going to offer solutions too.
The problem is in order to enact change it requires others working together. And yes that means when no one steps up you’ll have to take the reigns. First you must earn permission from others by showing up consistently, offering your advise, and making yourself available. It’s hard and scary work but nothing will change as long as we remain bystanders.
So what will you do?