My friend and I have been talking about the paucity of good people in a world gone mad. Although good is subjective but you know it when you see it. It’s a combination of universal values like kindness, fairness, equity, respect and so on.
In seeking good people, my friend and I did a quick assessment of whether our circles have tightened, we go out less or we meet fewer people. We finally settled on, “The world has changed.”
I used to think that darkness of spirit was an African problem. Perhaps a consequence of the belief in the diabolical, poor educational standards or a deepening desperation to escape poverty. But lately I’m noticing the dark side everywhere.
It is in the speed to go to war. Impatience when addressing digital handles online. Viewing humans in solely transactional terms. Dispensing with the slow art of getting to know people. One agendum or the other.
I think three things have occurred.
The first is the overt communication that humans are worth nothing without money.
This shows in the way we make excuses for the rich, entrepreneurs, or celebrities. How we celebrate hustle culture to the detriment of humaneness and wholeness.
The second is incessant media.
In a world gone mad, We are bombarded with so many curated viewpoints, yet are rarely invited to form our own. The prevalent culture is whatever the highest advertising buyers and most powerful networks say it is. We rarely have independent thinkers. Instead, we have communities and groups with rules. Many things now reflect popular culture – families, news, religion, politics, and commerce.
Finally, the world is tired.
Too many years of a pandemic and wars (and not just the current one). Humanity is numb and exhausted. And empathy requires strength. It demands that you set aside your own needs for a moment to consider someone else’s.
People scarcely have the strength to keep their heads above water. They are struggling to survive. So helping others is hard. However, the ability to sacrifice and to care are what make us human.
And so, we now live in a world gone mad. But can we find ourselves again despite the media noise and the drive to survive? Can we take the time to fully look into someone’s eyes. To stop all activity so we can listen and then ask, “How may I help you today?”
For more, please read Why I gave up on Nigeria.
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