4 Effective Ways to Make the World Better for Everyone

So often, our focus is on making our own lives better.  And frankly, there’s nothing wrong with that.  After all, this website is called “Create A Great Life,” so obviously I believe in the pursuit of improving one’s life!  But it’s important to recognize that all living things are interconnected.  So, if you want to make your own life better, then you also need to think about how to make the world better for everyone. 

 I’ll give you a simple example of how this works:  I live in the countryside.  But once in a blue moon, I’ll take a trip into the city.  And it’s not great.  Because cities are replete with folks who are suffering from homelessness and drug addiction.  Cities also have a preponderance of crime and general unethical behavior.  So, if you go into the city, it’s in some respects unpleasant. 

Now, let’s say that we somehow eradicated homelessness and drug addiction.  And let’s say that we convinced everyone to be law-abiding and kind.  Then, what is my trip into the city like?  Well, it’s pretty nice!  I might go to a museum and then dine at a nice restaurant.  And I’ll be surrounded by people who all have jobs, homes and relatively nice lives.  And for a day, we’ll co-exist quite nicely, enjoying all the art, culture and cuisine that the city has to offer.

That’s a simple example.  But I use it as an illustration to show this truth: If life isn’t good for everyone, then it isn’t very good for anyone. 

We can’t live in a nice world, if there’s war.  Or if men abuse women.  We can’t live in a nice world if parents abuse their children.  Or if people abuse animals.  And here’s a fun fact: None of that has to be the case.

War, violence and abuse are all behavioral choices that human beings make.  No one has to engage in any of those behaviors.  Ever.  It’s purely a choice.

But the good news is that we also collectively can choose to be kind, inclusive and loving toward all human beings and the creatures who inhabit our earth.  And the more people who make that choice, the better life will be for everyone.

Below are four ways that you can make the world better for everyone.  Follow these approaches, and be part of making the world a great place for all.

To Make the World a Better Place, Give Up “Othering”

One of the most subtle and insidious problems in our society is “othering.”  We “other” people whenever we decide that anyone who isn’t part of our group is the “other.” The problem with othering is that we use it to justify our belief that we are better or more valuable than other people.  And sadly, some use othering to justify treating other people cruelly.

Human beings engage in othering all the time.  Of course, we don’t label it as such.  Instead, we label it as religious faith.  Or nationalism.  Or politics.  Those are all ways that we declare that, “Because I am part of X group, and you’re part of Y group, I’m better (or more valuable) than you.  And since you’re the “other,” I don’t have to treat you nicely.”

People have all kinds of “othering” ideas. “You practice the other (wrong) religion.”  “You belong to the other (wrong) political party.”  “I’m X nationality, and since you are the other Y nationality, you’re by definition less important than me.”

I recognize that all sounds daft.  And it is.  But yet that’s how many people see the world. 

And all this othering is ruining humanity.  People use othering to engage in all kinds of evils, including wars, violence, and all the social ills that you can think of (sexism, racism, homophobia).  Because the theory is that if people aren’t part of your group, then it’s OK to be unkind to them.

So, my suggestion is this: If there is something in your life that is leading you to think that you are better, more “right,” or smarter than other people, give that thing up.  If your religion causes you to believe that you’re morally superior to people who practice other religions, give up your religion.  It isn’t making you a better person.  It’s just holding you back.

If nationalism or your political party are leading you to think that your country or party are better than other people’s countries or political parties, then give up your nationalism or your political affiliation.  It isn’t serving you.  It’s leading you to view the world in a very provincial, “us versus them” sort of way.  That’s an attitude which simply doesn’t help to create a peaceful, loving world.

So, if you want to make the world a better place for everyone, give up othering.  Give up whatever beliefs you hold that are leading you to look down on other people based on things that just don’t matter.  Because the religion, politics and nationality just don’t matter.  What matters?  Sharing this earth with others in a kind and respectful manner, and making this world a wonderful place for all.

Practice Ahimsa

Ahimsa is the Hindu and Buddhist practice of non-violence.  When you practice ahimsa, your goal is not to harm anyone.  Ahimsa can be practiced in all kinds of ways.  You can practice it through vegetarianism.  Or pacificism.  Or kindness.

It goes without saying that if everyone one this earth practiced ahimsa, we’d be living in a perfect world.  So, if you want to be part of making the world a far better place, an ahimsa practice is a good place to start.

What I’ve found is that it helps to make ahimsa part of your lifestyle.  For instance, I try to practice ahimsa by giving a lot of thought to my food choices.  So, I try not to harm other creatures when picking what foods I eat.  Now, I’m by no means perfect.  I mainly eat a vegetarian diet.  But I “cheat” on occasion by eating fish.  However, for the most part, I try to avoid harming any animals through my diet.

I also practice ahimsa by not killing bugs!  If I see an ant or spider in the house, I scoop it up on a piece of paper, and escort the little critter outside. 

And with respect to other human beings, while I’m not perfect, I make a concerted effort to be very gentle in how I speak to other people.  Because we not only harm others with our actions, but we also harm others with our words. 

Now, I’ll concede that it’s a radical choice to practice ahimsa in this world.  Unfortunately, we live in a world that lauds aggression, anger and violence.  After all, the films that make the most money at the box office are the ones which glamorize violence.  Our politicians are chosen based on who is the most “tough.”  And for some, killing animals (aka hunting) is a socially acceptable hobby.

So, in a world that applauds violent behavior, I encourage you to choose the opposite.  I encourage you to choose ahimsa.  Decide that throughout your day, you’re going to do everything possible to not harm other people or creatures.  If you do, you’ll be part of making the world a far better place for everyone.

Take the Time to Grapple with Complex Issues

These days, whenever I listen to someone discussing a serious topic, whether it’s politics, social issues or religion, I pay close attention to how they are presenting the topic.  And what I find is that people often do two things when they discuss serious issues: 1. First, they remark on how the folks who don’t agree with them are stupid or immoral.  2. Then, they explain that they are the ones who, in fact, are smart and moral.

The problem with that kind of analysis is that it’s simplistic. Realize that there are very few issues that are black and white.  Most issues are more complex than that.  The problem is that most people don’t want to grapple with those complexities.  So, they take the easy approach by declaring themselves to be right and moral. And they declare everyone else to be stupid and immoral.

However, the benefit of grappling with issues is that it allows us to understand other people’s points of view. And that understanding leads us to discuss issues with each other in a kinder manner.  We see that there are many sides to every issue, and it isn’t as simple as saying that the folks who don’t agree with us are either “dumb” or “unethical.” 

Take any hot button issue – immigration, abortion, homelessness, mental illness – none of those issues are black and white.  They are highly complex, and even the most knowledgeable and decent individuals can disagree about how to best deal with those issues. 

So, the next time that you are listening to someone discussing either a social or political issue, ask yourself, “Is this person considering this issue in all its complexity?  Or are they just being simplistic and self-righteous?”

The reality is that if you want this world to be better for everyone, then our discussion of serious topics needs to come from a place of kindness, compassion and understanding.  It’s only through that approach that we can collectively reach good solutions and make the world a far nicer place for all.

Beautify Wherever You Go

The world is naturally beautiful.  If you go to any large park or nature preserve, you’ll see that the natural world is beautiful.  The trees, rivers and wildlife are all gorgeous.  So, why are parts of the world ugly?  People.

People make the world ugly on both large and small scales.  Realize that if you go into any major city, the buildings and streets didn’t start out looking crummy.  But people choose not to take care of their private and public spaces.  As a result, a building or street that starts out lovely will turn into something terrible looking solely thanks to people!

The same is true of our homes.  A perfectly nice home can be attractive or ugly depending on its inhabitants.  I know people who will take a perfectly nice home and ruin it by refusing to make their beds, do their dishes, pick up their dirty clothes or otherwise clean up after themselves. 

I remember years ago, I was driving through a gorgeous part of Canada.  The natural beauty of the place was breathtaking.  And as I was driving, I drove by a house with junk in the front yard, and what appeared to be an old seat from a car on the front porch.  It was the epitome of man destroying an otherwise lovely place.

If you want to make the world better for everyone, then my suggestion is this: Make beautifying the world a priority.  Care about our world’s public and private spaces.  Don’t throw your trash on the ground.  If you have a yard, keep your property tidy.  Consider planting flowers and trees to beautify your little patch of the earth.  And keep the interior of your home lovely by making your bed, doing your dishes and decorating it in a simple, pleasing manner.

The world is as beautiful as we collectively are willing to make it.  Do your part to make it as beautiful as possible so that it’s nice for everyone.

If you are looking to make the world a wonderful place for not just yourself but everyone, consider adopting the approaches above.  Remember that when we make the world better for everyone – other people and our animal friends – we make it better for ourselves too! (If you would like to read more about the practice of ahimsa, click here.)