Today's Society

"A picture is worth a thousand words." An image can portray a powerful

message. It can be emotional, influential and compelling with a long-lasting effect on
our memory. This image depicts the dark side of our society to which many people make
contributions without realizing the negative impact it holds on all of us. It illustrates how
selfish and self-centered people have become in our culture to the point where they are
unconcerned about the well-being of others.
In this image, there seems to be a hole on one side of the boat, and water is
filling it up. To prevent themselves from drowning, the two men on that side are
working hard to drain the water from the boat. In contrast, the men on the other side
appear relaxed and carefree because the hole is not on their side, and they believe it is
not their problem at all. They seem to lack compassion for the other two and are not
even trying to help them. They do not realize that if the boat fills with water, they will
also drown.
There is too much going on in the world around us, such as poverty, religious
conflicts, prejudice, violence, etc. Moreover, every society is dealing with some critical
issues. Sadly, people ignore these societal issues unless they experience one.
Nevertheless, very few people work to improve the world and serve humanity without
receiving any compensation. Most of people are too preoccupied with their difficulties
to pay attention to the problems of others. Or that they are only concerned with
improving their lives. They do not care about how others deal with their lives or
sufferings. Therefore, people are losing compassion toward each other and the sense of
community is lost. “The measure of a society is its compassion” (Kristin Hannah)
We fail to recognize that an exemplary society is one where people advance not
just individually but also collectively. Lack of empathy results from a society moving
toward individualism; we care more about our welfare than others. As a result, there is
a vast economic gap and less consideration for the less prosperous people. We all will
eventually be affected by society's problems if they keep getting worse. This could cause
more stress in the future, especially when coping with catastrophes like global warming
and water shortage. Together, we must act appropriately at the right moment to
address the circumstances before they go out of our control.