A Different Vision

A few days ago, a dear friend of mine told me that she wondered why it appeared that the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

I have spent a few days pondering this concept and find that I do not share it.

True, war and misery are everywhere, as is COVID and chaos. False news feeds our views and violence is depicted in movies, television shows, and videogames. Children are being gunned down or bombed while in schools, and governments in many parts of the world are becoming more authoritarian.

But is this any different from other times in history?

The 1930’s and 40’s saw communism and Nazism rise and enslave and kill tens of millions. Apartheid in South Africa lasted until the 1990’s. The sixties saw the Vietnam war, the purges of China’s cultural revolution and worldwide protests about a variety of issues.

The seventies saw the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the rise in global terrorism that made us all feel unsafe wherever we were.

So, are things worse or just different? Violence has always been present and while the world might not have become more humane or peaceful, it is not going to hell in a handbasket. 

Instead, the almost instant access to news from all over the world makes every catastrophe or evil action resonate immediately and give the impression of chaos.

We are bombarded with television, radio, social media and e-mails providing information that can be overwhelming and demanding immediate responses from the senders. In the same way, governments are faced with a plethora of complex issues and a public screaming for instant results.

This can make many feel that their lives are out of control, and this can be scary.

The solution for many has been to find someone to blame and to look for enemies among those who are different from us. Thus, racism, antisemitism, islamophobia and misogyny continue to rise as people lash out against the unknown or the different.

But what if we were to conclude that, if we can’t change the world, we can at least take action to change how it affects us and not let it bring us down? 

The late Wayne Dyer once noted that if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

I agree.

Many feel that we can’t change the world but if we could, how would we start?

The first step is to change what we can in our personal environment. 

We can seek out others who share our values. We can join others who think positively and seek respect and peace and create communities of values. Technology allows global values-based communities to exist and grow and act as a counterbalance to the negativity which we are subjected to every day. Community can bind those who share our values and pressure those in power to adopt policies that reflect our beliefs.

We can learn to listen and find common ground while evolving our beliefs and finding compromise. And when others will not listen or compromise, we can take action to campaign and vote for leaders who share our values.

We can take proactive measures to ensure that our schools prepare our children for life and to be good citizens with good values. To teach children and young people to think critically and make wise choices. 

We can do more to help others to understand that we must vote for politicians who make clear policies, who seek consensus, who make positive action their mantra and who do not limit themselves to self-aggrandizement or enrichment. 

So rather than feeling that the world as going to hell in a handbasket, let’s be more active in our community and with those we can influence. Instead of lamenting, reacting by taking positive actions, however small, can be a first step towards regaining control of our world. 

Apathy offers no solutions.

So, let’s aim at developing a positive mindset and becoming more involved in our communities, and develop, strengthen, and share our values. 

Mao Zedong once said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step.

Are you ready to take that step?

Keep reading: The American Taliban

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Edición: Laura Espejo