Out of all the problems there are in this world, the one I have found to be the most frustrating is apathy. The busier we all get, the more problems we minimize, brush off, or even fail to see at all. It's like we're all running around in the pouring rain, but we've covered ourselves head to toe so that we can't feel the moisture.
Well, somehow in the midst of all this, I got soaked. Call it the curse of the avid reader, or whatever you want. But even I can't pay attention to the many problems and causes of the world. If I did, they would drown me.
When I read this quote, I can't help but think that the circle of apathy is not unlike the water cycle:
“So much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating effect.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
As the international storm rages on, all many of us are trying to do is to find the raincoats. If there's no tidal wave in sight, we turn the other way. And yet, most of our problems lie in the drizzle.
Before we can get out of the clouds, we first have to notice them. We're not doing ourselves, our children, or our society any good by ignoring them completely.
What kind of storm will it take to drown out the apathy? I don't think there is one that's strong enough. Apathy has stood up against the test of time over and over again. Is it even possible to conquer it once and for all?
I don't think it is, unless we all decide to boycott the manufacturers of those raincoats. Here are just a few of them, and they come in the most unlikely of disguises:
- Is There Child Slavery in Your Chocolate? (The Huffington Post)
- When Drugs Cause Problems They Are Supposed to Prevent (The New York Times)
As I've said before, even with limited time, there is one way that we can all fight this apathy and make a difference. It involves our spending power. The pickier we are with purchases, and the more informed choices we make, the more our voices will drown out that apathy.
Your choice is your voice! Please don't wait until Election Day to exercise it.
“By far the most dangerous foe we have to fight is apathy - indifference from whatever cause, not from a lack of knowledge, but from carelessness, from absorption in other pursuits, from a contempt bred of self satisfaction” ~William Osler
How are you fighting the apathy? Please inspire us with your story.
Here are some related posts:
