- September 6, 2018
- Psychology of thinking
- Dmitry Averkin
Our planet is vast and the people who inhabit it are diverse, and there are quite a few things you can do to make the world a little better. But the choice of tools for influence is so great that sometimes it’s confusing. And some you probably didn’t even suspect at all.
So, let's try to figure out what to do to make the world a better place. Let's consider the main and significant points of this enterprise, as well as the expected effect. All the tips and methods described below apply to almost everyone without exception, so there shouldn’t be any serious problems with implementation. We will analyze both local and more global methods. Both will help make the world a better place.
Volunteering
Not everyone will do this, but it’s worth trying at least once. A good half of the booklets attracting volunteers have almost the same syllable: “If you want to make the world a better place, sign up to be a volunteer!”
You will take a direct and, at the same time, official participation in good deeds and the results will not take long to arrive. You can work in a kitchen for the homeless, teach children from low-income families, take part in the construction of housing for the homeless, visit hospice and other charitable organizations.
It's good if you have some experience in a specific area. This will make your task much easier. And any experience is never superfluous. In general, if you are asking yourself how you can make the world a better place, then be sure to consider this option.
James Harrison
This Australian is a world-famous donor. This decision was influenced by breast surgery that Harrison underwent as a child. Then he needed 13 liters of blood, which saved his life. As a result, after reaching adulthood, he began donating 400 milliliters of blood every three weeks. For him, it turned out to be specific - it allowed him to prevent Rh conflict between mother and child. James came to the center about a thousand times and helped two million people.
Environment
Everyone knows that man and his activities have a negative impact on our planet. Proper management of the resources provided will allow you to preserve it for yourself and future generations. And here the motto of the “greens” will be in place: “If you want to make the world a better place, start with yourself!”
First of all, you should pay attention to waste disposal. Among other organizations that collect and remove waste, you need to pay attention to those who actually recycle and not just throw the contents of the bins into a landfill.
A separate article is cars. You can make the world a better place if you abandon them and switch to more environmentally friendly transport - bicycles. Well, or take a closer look at hybrid cars that run on fuel other than oil.
Landscaping the area with planting trees, shrubs and other vegetation will also have a beneficial effect on the environment and make the world a better place.
Vasily Arkhipov
Arkhipov is a Soviet submarine officer who also happened to make a decision that prevented a conflict between the two superpowers. The year is 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis is at hand. The B-59 submarine is in the waters near Cuba. Its location is calculated, the car is surrounded by eleven American destroyers and an aircraft carrier. Although the waters are neutral, the Americans are provoking and dropping depth charges, trying to force the Soviet submariners to surface. Captain of the second rank Valentin Savitsky is preparing to give the command for a return salvo. But Arkhipov shows restraint and dissuades the commander from taking a risky action, pointing to signals coming from American ships. The submariners give a response signal demanding that the provocations be stopped, the Americans retreat, and war is avoided.
Participate in elections
Don't neglect your right to vote. If a bureaucrat, a mediocre politician or some other social figure ends up in power, then nothing good will come from this to the world. Even if it seems to you that all this was bought and the results were rigged, you should not give up like hundreds of others and let it happen at random.
It is because of this that people who are greedy and not at all concerned about you and those around you come to power, no matter what level. They are only interested in their own ambitions, goals and other things that are insignificant to potential voters.
Just think that in our country, at most 60% come to various elections, and sometimes this figure does not rise above 40%. But if 90% had come, then the situation would probably have changed. So, to make the world a better place, be sure to participate in elections (city, regional, federal, etc.).
Don't buy just anything
Standing in front of the shelves in a store, think about what they are actually offering you? The success of a company depends solely on demand, that is, on its customers. So it depends on you whether the product will continue to be sold or not.
You will make the world a better place if you don't buy products that have been tested on animals or are harmful to them. Defenseless animals, even if they are predators, do not deserve such treatment. The only predator that can destroy everyone and everything is man.
Also, always support domestic and local manufacturers. This will make Russian products better. Importing companies, by and large, don’t care what their foreign colleagues eat there, and the main thing for them is to go through customs and get a profit. And in pursuit of this, low-quality goods are sold.
Russia is a rich country and can fully provide its citizens with food. There is no need to buy, albeit beautiful, Turkish tomatoes, Dutch meat or Finnish fish. We have all this, and it’s much cleaner, healthier, and most importantly, safer.
If you see that some or any other laws violate the basic principles of the struggle for a brighter and better world, then refuse this product, and soon its presence on the shelves of your store will noticeably decrease or disappear altogether.
Donations
Donations to charitable organizations help make the world a kinder and better place. In this way, you can help those suffering not only in your region, but throughout the planet. Such charitable companies organize assistance to those who need it most.
Among other societies, one can note such as “Give Life”, “Rusfond”, WorldVita, “Doctors Without Borders”, “Life Line”, etc. These are official organizations that really help, talk about it and are ready to account for every ruble spent.
Science determines the future of humanity
In the 21st century, changing the world has become even easier due to the increasing role of information and knowledge. Every day more and more professions appear that change our understanding of the future: alternative energy specialist, virtual reality or robotics architect. Science has always been the area where the most daring ideas are born on how to change the world and help individuals and all of humanity. At the present stage, scientists can implement projects that recently seemed like something fantastic.
One of these innovative ideas, which can affect the lives of thousands or even millions of people, belongs to the NUST MISIS scientific group, which is developing new biomaterials for medical use. Scientists are creating bone and cartilage implants and customized prosthetics based on biomimetic materials, that is, those that imitate elements of living nature. Researchers are developing cell-engineered structures that combine conditionally living and non-living things.
Fedor Senatov, head of the Biomaterials Science department, talks about his successful experience of cooperation with a large veterinary clinic:
“A big story was the operation to replace a large section of bone in a cat with acute sarcoma - he had to have his limb amputated. We were simulating bone, and this implant was populated with the patient’s own cells before the operation: they took a bone marrow sample, isolated cells from there and successfully colonized them into the implant. This was the first cell-engineered cat in Russia. We managed to extend his active life by one year.”
Now developments in this area have reached the final research stage. After the necessary approvals and safety tests, the technology can be used in human clinics. The researcher believes this could change the future of medicine:
“We are at a stage when we have already done a lot of pure science, written, told the world, and now we need to do something applicable in practice. Because we see how this could potentially work. We would like to make customized prosthetic technology more accessible.
Our developments are based on materials that could potentially be quite cheap, but at the same time have good characteristics - this is something that can be used as implants in medicine. We would like to bridge the gap between pure science and practice and take this small step so that all the developments that now help animals become applicable to people. Our global goal is to expand the potential market and make it inexpensive, so that patients can count on a good prosthesis not only based on quotas. It should be affordable for everyone.”
We now live on average twice as long as our ancestors did in the 1900s, and our quality of life has improved dramatically. This is largely due to science. The pursuit of knowledge not only changes our ideas about the world, but also creates a new reality. But many people are afraid of such rapid changes, so not all developments are easily implemented.
Animal protection
Man on planet Earth is the pinnacle of evolution, the dominant form of life and, as mentioned above, the most dangerous predator. We must protect weak creatures, that is, those who cannot oppose anything to our progress, as well as to their extinction.
There are many ways to take care of our little friends. It is imperative to support bills aimed at protecting fauna and try to promote them yourself. Also, you should not wear fur coats made from natural fur. Many may argue that it’s cold in Russia, but the point here is completely different.
Natural fur does not hold a monopoly on warmth. Experts in this field, along with manufacturers, perfectly understand and know that modern technologies have given the world many materials and tools that are lightweight and protect our body from cold and wind at least as well as natural furs.
In addition, a good half of consumers of arctic foxes, minks and other defenseless animals do not encounter the cold at all. All their movements through the harsh Russian frosts are a few steps from the door of the house to the car, and then to a boutique, fitness center or restaurant. A genuine desire to wear fur is chic, prestige and dust in the eyes of society.
You can also help animals with the help of charitable organizations similar to those we mentioned in the previous section. “Giving Hope” is a striking example of this. Both companies come out with the slogan: “Let's make the world a better and kinder place!” And they are also ready to account for every ruble spent.
Improving the world - external or internal progress?
Noble impulses to make the world a better place lead many people to the question: what does it mean to improve the world ?
It is not so easy to answer this question, since the concept has taken root in people’s minds that improving the world implies scientific, technical and economic progress, sometimes at any cost. There is some misconception in this, since one part of the world is destroyed for the sake of the progress of another, and such progress can hardly be called correct. On the other hand, we must not forget that scientific, technical, economic and other progress in itself is worth nothing if the right goals are not behind it. If we imagine the larger scale of such progress, we will find that this is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, medicine, communications, improvement of life and living standards, on the other, the improvement of weapons, control over people, the destruction of nature and the cultural degradation of society. Thus, technological progress can be both and a negative factor , depending on who and how it is applied. All progress is in the hands of people and it depends on which people use the various tools of progress and how they do it - whether this tool will be useful or harmful to society.
We should understand that the improvement of the world does not lie in external progress, but in internal development . In such improvements in morals that will allow people to improve morally and ethically. No matter how outwardly developed human society is, there is always a way to use progress for harm. As long as people are more concerned with the external side of the issue of improving the world, rather than with the internal, the danger that any achievement of mankind can be used for personal, selfish interests remains extremely high. These personal, selfish interests most often become the cause of undesirable consequences, ranging from the destruction of the fate of an individual to the destruction of entire ecosystems. As technological progress increases, the stakes also rise. A hundred years ago, humanity could hardly destroy itself completely in a few months; now such a scenario seems possible in just a couple of days.
Society
There is a golden rule of morality, which is discussed in almost every book on psychology, and it will also allow you to make the world a better place. It sounds simple and does not require anything complicated or impossible from you: “Treat people the way you want them to treat you.”
If you bring goodness to the people around you, they will respond to you in the same way. Of course, there are exceptions, as with any rule, but the main society is built precisely on mirror responses. Any little thing can be here: help with heavy bags, congratulate you on your birthday, find out how the person is doing and if he needs some small service, etc.
With such an attitude towards society and specific people, you will not only achieve their favor, but also change the world for the better.
Improve yourself
Engaging in self-development and solving existing problems is also a great way to improve the world. After all, every person is an integral part of the universe. Therefore, while working on himself, he also works to improve the world. Of course, no one will give a straight answer to the question of how to make the best self-development choices in the world. Here a person must determine his own preferences. Some people need to get rid of excessive aggressiveness, others need to stop being afraid and anxious. One person lacks responsibility, another, on the contrary, needs to learn to be more relaxed and trust other people. Working on yourself is always a long process. Often the determining condition for its effectiveness is joint work with a competent psychologist.
General recommendations for making the world a better place through self-development are as follows: you need to learn to take responsibility for your life, make healthy decisions, develop awareness, respect other people's time, and also be compassionate. Many of the great people have had these qualities. For example, this was Mahatma Gandhi, who devoted his entire life to the struggle for social transformation in his native India. It is known that Gandhi practiced meditation, taught forgiveness, and sought to serve other people. For more than three decades he was the main inspirer of the national liberation movement. His efforts, as well as the work of those who were nearby, were crowned with a historic victory. Therefore, Gandhi’s example shows: working on yourself is also a means to make the world a better place.
Job
Be sure to get a job. It’s not so important which one. This could be a store salesperson, a construction worker, or a freelancer working from home. Idleness will never make your world a better place. You must communicate with people, find a common language with them, improve your skills and your self.
You can stand with posters in front of the local administration as much as you like, attend forums and meetings, send “letters of joy” and ask to make this world a better place, but only a busy and socially responsible person can move the stone from a dead point.
Old lady and coffee
On a wonderful spring morning in Cincinnati, Mark left the hotel and headed to the nearest coffee shop. His lecture was due to take place after lunch, so after paying for a cup of coffee, he took a table outside and immersed himself in reading the newspaper. There was a taxi stand nearby. Mark noticed an elderly woman near the car. She got out of the car, stretching her legs, and looked thoughtfully at the coffee shop. It was clear that she wanted to come in. Mark approached her:
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” - Mark asked.
"It would be fantastic!" - the lady answered.
“What kind of coffee do you prefer?”
“Black,” she liked the same coffee as Mark.
Mark returned to the cafe and paid a little over a dollar for coffee for the old lady and the taxi driver. The woman reached into her pocket for money. "Do not worry. Drinks are on me,” Mark said. The woman stood there with amazement on her face, speechless. This is what it means to be an inspiration to someone.
Be positive
It is much easier for an optimist to solve problems that arise. If those around you are full of pessimists, then be prepared to resist them and do not let them turn you into a person with a negative attitude towards the world.
Smile more often, look for some positive clues in life and do not give in to despondency. Behind the black stripe, even if there are several of them, a white one will always appear. But only if you are determined to win. Otherwise, there is a great risk of getting lost in the gray mass of pessimists with eternal black stripes. And it will be more difficult to do something with the world.
The main weapon of pessimists in dialogues and attempts to attract you to the “dark side” is, so to speak, imaginary facts. Such people see only the negative aspects of life and focus on them, missing a lot of positive aspects. So if you want to make this world a better place, you just need more positivity.
Henrietta Lacks
An African-American woman who died very early - at only thirty-one years old. But she became a donor of material that helped George Otto Gay make human cells that did not die after several divisions. This is a valuable achievement for doctors - a strain of these cells was used to create a vaccine against polio. They are used to combat AIDS, cancer and other diseases. Scientists have already grown twenty tons of Henrietta's cells and continue to use them to fight various diseases.
Share your knowledge
It just so happens that we don’t like upstarts and know-it-alls, but if you share your knowledge - give advice or take a direct part in solving a problem - then the situation, and with it the world, will change for the better.
You just need to do this as tactfully as possible. That is, do not push a person aside with an exclamation: “What an idiot, look how it should be done!” And carefully offer him help. Phrases like: “Maybe I should try this or that?”, “I don’t have much time, can I help you?” - do not cause negative reactions.
Share your experience and knowledge. Many people are not used to asking for help and expecting it from others, preferring to solve their problems on their own. Some are ashamed, others are too proud, and others have lost the desire to ask anything due to constant refusals. There are many reasons, but your help to other people in difficult situations will change this world for the better.
Respect
Respect yourself and others. If you have achieved some success, then there is no need to boast about it, much less point your superiority at other, less fortunate people. The latter, due to periodic failures, become aggressive, and in most cases without noticing it. And walking through the streets we see a lot of angry faces.
When talking with strangers, and it doesn’t matter who it is - a janitor, a watchwoman at your entrance or a random passer-by - address them as “you”. Also, you should not judge people, as they say, by their clothes. The phrase: “Look, what a kikimora walked away in an old dress,” can offend a teacher, a nurse who works around the clock, or a kindergarten teacher. Mutual respect can make this world a much better and kinder place.
