The Goodness of Humanity

I believe in people. I believe that bravery is underrated and that courage is contagious. I believe in diplomacy. I believe that a single smile can transcend the day of multiple people; underneath it all, I believe in the goodness of humanity.

A belief that can often be an incredible challenge.

I live in one of the most popular cities on the globe, a city that contains tourist attractions, universities, a thriving financial district, unmatched retail, and unremarkable poverty. On a rush hour bus in San Francisco, 100 people are crowded into the narrow spaces of the ‘Fulton 5’; yet for as tightly as we are wedged, we are not at all close. I have stood between a man in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit, on his blackberry, listening to his ipod and a woman who hasn’t changed her clothes in a week. The distribution of wealth across the world is disgusting, but on this bus the tragedy is not the issue of money, but rather, the blatant lack of human connection. When this woman briskly apologizes for unintentionally bumping into this man as she climbs off at her stop, he will not so much as look at her. We are all so consumed in our own devices, circling within our own world. So much so that we forget to look up, to look around, to remember that we really are all-just parts of the same whole. We have become so scared of the axis of evil, of the possibilities of terrorism, of the ‘Others’, that we have forgotten what is at our core: us, humanity, and faith in the collective human spirit. When a bus I was riding began hydroplaning down a steep San Francisco hill, a man in his late 60s, who hadn’t taken his eyes off of the floor the entire ride, reached out and grabbed my hand to prevent me from rocketing 25 feet backwards. It was this act, this basic instinct, that gives me hope; people are, truly, very good at heart. No one wishes to see another in pain; no one hopes for another’s failure, no one willingly abandons another. When Katrina struck devastation over New Orleans, and the government couldn’t respond quickly enough, it was us, the civilian population, who mobilized. When the travesties of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda surfaced, although they do not directly effect our daily lives, it was us, students, educators, policy makers, who answered the cries for help. When we learn of injustices, we respond; when we become aware of crisis, we react. Not to gain a plaque, or ribbon, or bragging rights, but because it is inherent; it is the right thing to do for the betterment of the world.

The economy, foreclosures, the war, the cycle of poverty, serial killers, identity theft, SARS, AIDS; there are millions of things in this world to be scared of; but we must not let these evils break our faith. We must look up from our book on the bus, converse with others in our elevators, and smile as we walk down the street. The only way we are going to get through all of this is together. The more we connect, the more humanity we produce, and the easier, the better, and the more rewarding it will be. I write this, because this I believe. I believe, in us.