"Goodness is a language, which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see" - Mark Twain
It emphasizes that kindness is a powerful form of communication that can be understood by anyone, even without spoken words or visual sight. Kindness is a universal language that can be understood by everyone, even those who are physically unable to hear or see, as it is experienced through actions and gestures that transcend physical limitations. Today, I read this story on internet. The story really highlights, how people have started becoming complicit in the suffering of others.
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The story was all about ;
a destitute woman who was brought to court for shoplifting a loaf of bread during the Great Depression. The presiding judge, identified as New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, dismissed the charges and instead personally paid the fine, recognizing her desperate act to feed her starving family. She is depicted as a poor woman with children who is forced to steal a loaf of bread because she has no money to buy food. Instead of punishing her severely, the judge, recognizes the desperation behind her actions and finds a way to help her.
While the story does show the complicit nature of human being, people have not learned any lessons. Over the years the things have grown more into the individual's mindset as well in our society. In todays times it was seen all over the place.
People can become complicit in the suffering of others by passively allowing harmful actions to occur through silence, inaction, or by actively supporting systems that perpetuate injustice, often due to fear, ignorance, apathy, or a desire to conform to social norms. People are more prone to such act even when they are aware of the wrongdoing happening around them. They are standing nor speaking up or taking action when they could to prevent the suffering.
There are many examples from our day to day life where we tend to be ignore. Few examples to highlight :
Watching the increasing road rage incident but unable to take a stand. If we see someone being bullied but do not try to stop it, we are complicit in the bullying behavior. We are aware of unethical practices in our workplace but do not report, we can be considered complicit.
Silence is cowardice....
Being complicit is considered bad because it means we are indirectly involved in or supporting a harmful or wrong action by not speaking out or taking action against it. Essentially, it enables the wrongdoing to continue, even if we are not directly committing it ourself. This can be seen as morally questionable and a failure to uphold ethical responsibility. There are many factors associated with being complicit. It may be ; when people witness suffering but don't intervene because they assume someone else will take action or believe their individual intervention won't make a difference. It also occur, on accepting or overlooking harmful actions as "just the way things are" within a society or group. Many people, avoid speaking out against injustice due to fear of social exclusion, job loss, or physical harm.
Taking a stand against injustice is an act of bravery, but I admit hardly anyone of us are ready to do this. There are something which h keeps pulling us. It may seems easy to get out openly opposing the wrong doing, but we may get insecure. This complicit nature has evolved into human being. One can try to avoid complicit nature by :
Actively seek information about social issues and injustices
Challenge harmful behavior and stereotypes when you see them.
Advocate for policies and actions that promote equality
Reflect on your own actions and biases and actively work to change them
I would request readers of this post to read the story and feel some apathy for being in such situation. Rather than fuelling the fire the system to continue we must change our attitude and take some firm stand.
In good Faith-Peace!
