by Mary P Ivy

Created on: April 05, 2010

As the famous Ghandi quote reminds us, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Of course individuals can bring about a better world through their actions.

To begin, look at how we treat each other on a day-to-day basis. It has a huge impact, even though we may not be immediately aware of that impact. Kind words, civil gestures, simple courtesy go a long way in making another person’s day a little bit better, increasing the likelihood that they will react in a kind and civil manner to the next person they encounter. And thus it spreads.

The opposite is true as well, unfortunately. A couple of encounters with rude people on a morning commute leaves many people a bit disenchanted with their fellow citizens and looking for someone to “take it out on”, assuring that the hateful cycle spreads through everyone else’s day.

But civility is just the beginning, albeit the basis for all other behavior. Civility by its very nature recognizes that others are as deserving and as important as we ourselves. 

It works the same with the environment as well. What difference does it make what one individual adds to the landfill rather than the recycling bin? Save all your plastic containers for just one month for a vivid illustration. What difference does one needless trip in the car make? Remember how gasoline consumption dropped when prices went to $4 per gallon? One individual at a time cutting back a few miles made a huge difference in a few short weeks!

Realizing that our needs are not the only – or even the most important – in the general scheme of things makes it more likely that all peoples’ needs are realized. This is especially true in the world of natural resources. There, too, we can make the world a better place by our individual actions. If each and every individual limited their consumption, it would increase the chances that others get their fair share as well. So what if I leave the water running while I brush my teeth? Over a lifetime, I have will have wasted another person's share of clean water and then some. 

We are not just a collection of isolated individuals. We are also consumers and voters. We can help bring about a better world, the world we say we want, by using our power as consumers and voters. If we refuse – individual by individual – to participate in the ruthless exploitation of people and resources, who would keep unscrupulous businesses or politicians enfranchised? But if individually we do the opposite – supporting poor business practices and self-serving politicians – because it benefits us in the short term, then we have helped maintain the status quo.

As individuals we have all participated in bringing about the world we have today. We all shared in the destruction of the natural environment. We also enabled the financial crisis of recent years. Perhaps we didn’t really realize just what we were doing then. But one individual at a time added up to real damage, environmentally and financially. It isn’t hard to see that individually, we add up to the solution going forward. Part of each person’s influence in bringing about a better world is recognizing our own responsibility.

So, whether through manners and simple courtesy as we go through our daily life or through our choices, purchases and votes, each individual does make a difference in the world. The only real question is this: are we as individuals influencing the world for better or worse?

Learn more about this author, Mary P Ivy.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.