I have had the good fortune to travel to nine developed countries in two continents. One thing profoundly impressed me; the post-Covid world seems to be fundamentally different from its earlier version. What I observed was that the pandemic has sharply divided the world into those that are doing very well and those that seem left behind. As I travelled, I saw many prosperous citizens in their newer cars and designer clothing, and also many other citizens that were on lower wages struggling to make ends meet. The differences were so obvious: you could choose to look away or imagine the two opposites were not there, but they were. I wondered whether there was an underlying sense of inequity felt by those doing less well. Where was the fairness in all this?
Climate change makes the same point. The prosperous developed world enjoys the successes and advantages of their industrial revolutions, and less developed nations deal with the legacies of the wasteful behaviours of others. The divide between the developed and the less developed nations is widening.
Wellness is both a personal and shared blessing and obligation. If I thrive and others struggle, then I have a duty of care to be part of the solution to this inequity and unfairness. Our human nature naturally encourages and rewards us for being compassionate. One of the better ways to improve your wellbeing is to be charitable and caring for others. In return, our spirits seem to rapidly improve.
The inequities we see around us should encourage us to move from empathy (I feel your pain) to compassion (let’s do something about your pain). We should move from spectators of our relative prosperity to becoming part of the solution. Some re-distribution of wealth from the fortunate to those that are truly challenged is inevitable and welcome.
Charity to others and gratitude for our bounty should encourage us to look at the growing social divide with a sense of compassion, not indifference. Imaging this unfairness is not present is wishful thinking and counter-productive in the longer run.
Reflection Source: www.Smallercup.org
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