A Better World is Possible

We Should Aspire to a Better Society in the Post-Pandemic World

This post would be quite long, depressing, and incoherent. If you find many errors in my writing; I’m sorry I’m working on that, if you disagree with my view, that’s fine. I have some thoughts and grievances that need to be conveyed, so I just write that down.

The world is in a bad shape right now. Recently I’ve watched a news segment about the Covid-19 surge in India, stories of hardships and tragic losses endured by the people and the inability of the government to tackle the crisis. I thought it could happen to us or to any country soon or later. Meanwhile the US and European countries rejected a proposal to waive the intellectual property in order to allow some countries especially in the global south to mass produce its own vaccines. What can we learn from this story? Even between countries there is a distrust and self interest maintained by each country and it also true in micro level i.e. between humans.

Imagine a world where countries able to collaborate to tackle any crisis, a government that care its own people, a society that care for each other. When there is no war, poverty, homelessness, hunger, and unemployment. The precariousness of life; medical bills, job insecurity, and economic crisis are gone. I know it sounds childish but hey! That’s the world I want to live in and everyone should aspire to. After this pandemic ends, we should ask ourselves do we want to keep the way things are, because if bad things will happen again, and will be, I’m sure we will go extinct.

There is no easy way out from this crisis. Of course there must be a structural change how the society runs, but that’s a bigger project. I’m talking about the smaller one; the least we can do to each other.

Be Kind to Another

Start small, kindness is the most basic thing to build up a better world. Almost every culture and society has this kind of virtue, especially ours. Be kind to your friends, family, neighbor, co-worker or even stranger, sounds very simple and cliché but with a small act of kindness life will be less miserable for everyone.

Have a Connection to Someone

I cannot stress this enough. I have emphasized this point in the previous article. Maintaining some kind of human connection whether with friends or relatives is incredibly essential. Furthermore, to develop unconditional and everlasting relation is even better. I don’t want to sound holier-than-thou but it seems to me the human connection is so transactional these days. I’m not denying that human is inherently self-interest creature (I doubt that) but imagine what an ugly society we’re living today.

Listen More, Have Some Humility and Empathy

Sure, having a human connection is not enough, maintaining it is another story. I need to clarify that I’m not really good at social skills and it’s hard. That’s the reason it is a skill. To listen is one of those and it is the way to understand people.

Humility is also important to human connection. I think humility is to be vulnerable, to let go our insecurities, knowing our limitations and vulnerability, recognizing we are part of humanity as a whole and a tiny speck in the vast universe. In that way, ego and pride can be suppressed.

And finally empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another (according to google) and it’s the combination of to listen and being humble. Sometimes the idea of empathy is being disparaged, belittle, a trait for the weak, portrayed as a sign of weakness, some people are sick of listening to one’s grievances (I found this particularly in the online world). But yeah, I understand, in the world of everyone for themselves, we cherish the self-made man/woman, life is zero sum game, pull yourself by the bootstraps mentality, a world view that fetishize grit and individualism. I used to think that way for most of my life, and I realize that way of thinking creates a miserable life and turns people into sociopath. So have some kind of empathy, it’s good for your soul.

Aware of the Injustices around Us

You know like poverty, inequality, unemployment, hunger, homelessness. I think we need to stop or at least reconsider of blaming individual for anything I’ve just mentioned above. To be fair, for the most part it’s not their fault, especially in these times.

Solidarity and Dignity for All

Here I have to mention everyone. This is not only for the blue collar workers in factory or white collar in office or public health workers or government employees but also; gig economy workers, delivery workers, drivers, freelancers, underpaid teachers, struggling fresh graduates, the unemployed, domestic workers, street vendor seller, musician and artists, tourism workers, restaurant workers, construction workers, sanitation workers, handyman, technician, electrician, and retail workers.

Some of those that I have just mentioned above were the most downtrodden, the most impacted by the current crisis, and the least appreciated by society, yet their role are invaluable to maintain our daily lives. We should at least think about them, thank and appreciate them anyway we can.

Happy International Workers’ Day