Saving the world in 5 easy steps (part 2):

All right, the last part was easy. Anybody can point at the flaws which are rampant in the world, but trying to find ways to actually improve the world is considerably harder. The basis of my improvement plan is simple: very few people can have a positive impact on the world as a whole, (or even their country as a whole). It is easier to have a widespread negative impact, especially for a dictator (think Stalin or Hitler) or military leader (Julius Caesar, Napolean). But positive impacts? The rare few who succeed at this are either religious leaders (Buddha, Christ, Mohammed), great philanthropists (Mother Theresa) or charismatic inspirational leaders (Mohatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr.).

But what can the average person do to change the world? I think the key to changing the world is the domino effect. This was the basis of American foreign policy in the 1960s when the government decided to go to war in Vietnam under the belief that if one small country fell to the communists, then that would cause another country to fall, then another, until all the dominos fell and the entire world became communist.

While history has disproved that theory with regards to communism, it is still valid with regards to improving the world. Do you think Buddha or Christ or Mohammed changed the religious beliefs of one billion people overnight? Not at all. They influenced a few close followers, who then converted a few more each, who converted a few more each and so on. Big positive changes in the world can only come about through the domino effect. And each person who wishes to become part of the solution must be the first domino.

So here are some recommended maxims to start those dominos falling:

1. Follow Gandhi’s advice to “Be the change you want to see in this world.”
2. Any act performed by one person which intentionally brings a measure of happiness to another person reflects a portion of that happiness back onto the original doer.
3. When you perform any action intended to improve your personal good, be sure it does not negatively impact on the good of others.
4. A variation of the “Golden Rule” should guide your life: Treat all people as if they are as important in your life as you are.
5. Everybody should devote some small portion of their life to achieving the common good.

The first maxim above is fairly simple, and is a variation on the maxim “Either you are part of the problem or part of the solution.” You’re not going to change the world by sitting back and griping about it. Do something or shut up!

The second maxim occurred to me several years ago when I was helping my students and I realized that their increased happiness when they succeeded actually made me happy. And why shouldn’t it? Do you believe that Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, Jr. were totally unaffected by I improving the lives of the people around them? I seriously doubt it. If you enjoy seeing other people become happier due to your efforts, then it is easier for you to want to do it.

The third maxim is one which is ignored by many people who claim to be followers of Christ or Mohammed or Moses, but who are really hypocrites. The entire pre-occupation in this country with cutting taxes no matter what the impact on other people is morally wrong, period. Believing that the government should not provide medical insurance to poor people because it might impact our own taxes is morally wrong, period. I am as much opposed to government waste and mis-spending my tax money as anybody. Such as tax cuts for the oil industry which still manages to make record profits; such as tax breaks for corporations whose chief executives make obscene salaries and benefits; such as having such a fat military able to destroy the entire world ten times over while people are starving, crime is rampant, and our national infrastructure is collapsing right beneath our feet. But I believe that rather than wholesale cuts in taxes what this country needs is a serious reconsideration of our national priorities.

The fourth maxim is obvious. Notice I did not state “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” since love has nothing to do with how we should treat people. For 31 years I devoted my life to helping my students and other teachers as much as possible. While I really cared about most of the people I was helping, do you believe that I cared about every one of them equally? Any of my students should realize that is not true. Much as I would like to be, I am not Mother Theresa. ☺ But I always tried to not let my personal feelings toward some people affect my treatment of them. They deserved my help as much as my very favorite people did.

As for the fifth maxim, since I stopped teaching I have been seeking an outlet for volunteering although, I admit, I have not yet found one. My wife has done so, and she is volunteering currently. I will keep looking, and hopefully I will soon find some way to give aid to other people. Partly because it is my obligation to do so, and partly because of maxim two above: I just enjoy making people happier.

And so should you if you plan to have any impact on improving the world as a whole.

I would be remiss here not to mention the courage of the citizens of Cairo. For those of us watching them safely on television, it is hard to imagine the sacrifice and daring of what they did, especially in light of the massacre in Tiananmen Square 22 years ago. Those people gathering in Cairo had no idea whether the military was going to take their side and help keep the peace, or take the government’s side and start firing into the crowd. And what about the brave people who protected the museums from vandals and thieves until the military took over that task? They had no idea if the would-be thieves had weapons and would have killed them to steal some ancient valuables.

The people of Cairo should be an inspiration to all of us. They put their lives on the line for the cause of justice. Surely we can go out of our way to make a smaller impact on the world around us. It is certainly easier and more comfortable to enjoy our high standard of living and do nothing but *tsk* at the tv news. But if we do that, then we’re content to stay part of the problem as the world slowly crumbles around us.