Epidemic Uncontrollable

Today, as I write this, I am actually being a contradiction. In being myself, in doing what I do and mainly writing what I write. I was asking myself, as to, what was the greatest plague that strikes humanity in the 21st century and I found that its not AIDS nor any other Virus infected disease.

It is rather a human virus. Yes a disease, the root of which are humans. In a world characterized by breakthrough innovations, advancements at the speed of thought, we are slow in combatting this disease. And the truth is, it is crippling us, the Human Race. What I am talking about, trying to describe, is infact the greatest disease ever discovered, that which Mother Teresa of Calcutta, so rightly put, "Indifference".

In a world where one is always challenged to outperform others to exist, one can but wonder whether indifference is really inevitable? One has to look after oneself, and in that process, one might be a little bit indifferent to others.

But how much is little? We squirm & squirt when we see graphic images of atrocities in the media, and the next moment we are looking for 'more news'. We are slowly becoming immune to the pain of others, and people are increasingly becoming just statistics. So what if 30 people are blown up in Iraq, there's supposed to be a war there, right? And about the thousands dying of starvation in Africa, well that's the UN's problem. Too much Bureaucracy.

I recently watched a movie 'Beyond Borders', a very realistic portrayal of relief workers around the world. As the movie progressed, I went through a gamut of emotions, from pain to sadness to grief to anger. And I was incensed 'cause nobody was doing anything. The sad fact however is, all those feelings lasted for 48 hours only. Two days and I had gotten over the movie. Life was back to normal. Coming back to what i started out with, I am contradicting myself....Big Time.

So what exactly is indifference? to put it simply, its the inablility to see others around us as they really are, because we are too much preoccupied with our selfish ambitions. I am not talking only about people who are starving or those who are victims of terrorists. These causes do claim a lot of lives, but indifference claims more.

Why don't we want to listen to people around us? Why don't we want to share with them their pain's and joy's? Because it involves a cost, a cost we have to pay ourselves. It's like working for free without any perks. Now why does somebody need to do that? I can do so many things thats going to benefit me right? And what do I get if I become less indifferent to others? Nothing! A Big Nothing! But in that answer lies the truth of our happiness. Nothingness. Once we decide to become nothing for others, we realize we have nothing to lose. No time, no income, no pride to lose, and the result being we become more concerned with others.

So how do I become nothing? Simple...Do nothing. Yes its as simple as that. Get rid of yourself, your goals, your ambitions and put people there. People in your workplace, people on the street, people everywhere. Put them before you and step back and lo! you realize how important people are! How beautiful the gift of life is!

And slowly a new beginning will dawn, within you, around you, and will see humanity in a whole new light......a beautiful glorious light......a light that will change the course of your life.

But all this requires a beginiing, a Start. Don't read this and put it behind you or you wouldn't be any different from me i.e contradict yourself stuff.

Start now! I started by writing this