Loss of compassion

Why have we all become so discompassionate about our fellow human beings. There is anger everywhere. And this anger is exacerbated by social media where we vent this anger and have our friends and acquaintances add fuel to it. We are unhappy with each and every product and service we are offered and make sure that those companies know it. Should we not give them a benefit of doubt that they made an honest mistake? Probably they knew they were not doing the right thing but were hampered by the system.

We get angry with the airlines if they are late. Fair enough. But no airliner is perennially late. We are angry if the check-in baggage comes late. We are unhappy about our telecom service providers. We have endless complaints about them not responding to us. We are unhappy about politics. We are unhappy about corruption but will indulge in it as per our discretion. We are unhappy with the restaurant if the food comes a second late. We are sarcastic about the food with the waiter if the food is less tasty by an infinitesimal amount. We are unhappy about rickshaw and taxi drivers over-charging but we can do it with our customers. We will break all traffic rules and blame others for the traffic.

All companies have their senior management living a luxurious life but go for downsizing as soon as the quarter sales are not up to the levels of ‘stratospheric’ satisfaction. All that each company cares is profit at the end of the year and for attaining that, the process is immaterial. Ethics, laws, helpfulness, care, empathy, respect and family can take a back seat. Sales people are driven by fudging sales numbers, accounts people are driven by window-dressing the financial statements, finance people find ways to raise money through short-term objectives, human resource people are worried about least employee cost. There isn't an end to it. No one cares about the skilled worker on the shop-floor. Or the security personnel who is watching over your multi-billionaire conglomerate. It is ironic that you have mega photo-shoots with poor children to show that you are doing your bit of charity and spend millions on television ads when the same money can be used for the betterment of those children.

Why are we becoming so impatient. What are we going to do with the time we are saving by not stopping at the 30 second traffic signal. We are always on the worry about our jobs because we have so many wants which we assume are our needs. Social media has made people consume things to show others that they are living an exciting life. The situation is rather contrasting. Lifestyle diseases are on the rise. Love is at an all-time low.

Look inward and you will see that there are solutions. If we stop living life like wanting to consume each and every materialistic pursuit available, we will have more time for ourselves. We will be more accepting of supposed problems in our life and be compassionate towards people. Respect a human being and not the chair that he occupies. The sweeper is not less human than the Chief executive officer. Everyone is bound by the same life and how you help others show who you are than the external manifestation.

Our current ways of life can be summed up by the two lines of this beautiful poem from W.H. Davies “What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.”