In a sense it's true. If we look at people around us, our neighbours, friends, colleagues, helpers. With some minor exceptions we find them mostly good, trustworthy people. Irrespective of social, religious or economic differences.
However, we all say that the world is bad and turning worse. Which world is this? It's not us, our neighbours or our friends. We are good people.
Its Others.
The Others we read about in the newspaper and Internet or see on TV. Who are essentially bigoted, selfish and evil.
Why don't we find such people all around us? Are we living in an oasis of goodness surrounded by evil ? No. Its because such bigoted, selfish and evil human beings are the exception. The media reports the exception. It's the nature of news.
You cant report that a man was crossing the road and drivers waited patiently. If out of the millions of people crossing the road one gets hit by a car, that's news. Millions of people draw cash from the ATM every day. If someone unfortunately gets looted that's news.
And that's what we consume and it shapes our world view. Our trust in people and how we perceive them. It shapes rules and institutions starting with the assumption that people are untrustworthy. Hence one needs layers of leadership and CEOs to govern them.
How do we fix this ? Atleast for ourselves?
For one stop seeing online news. Choose the print newspaper which gives nuanced editorials. Else you are anyways not missing anything.
Travel and meet people from different countries and cultures. The more people you meet the more you realize that people every where are the same. Hardworking, simple and trying to improve their lives.
Read well researched books and journals.
Be kind and dont be shy to proclaim if you have done some good. Dont tone it down.
For an act of kindness is just as infectious as someone yawning 🙂
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