Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Actions and Reactions....

...Some people go through life thinking that what they do doesn't effect others, or not caring how what they do effects others. For every action that is made there is a definite reaction. Sometimes it is small, sometimes it is of infinite proportions. When one acts or makes an action, it causes an instant reaction. Most people do not consider what the reaction will be before they make the action. Some people consider the reaction, but do not care. We need to, as a people, start considering the reaction to our actions in all areas of life. Socially, things we do or say to or about people cause people to react in different ways. This is very seldom taken into account because we are a selfish society. Take, for instance, a young boy who is exposed to certain information about something in the world news that says there is a catastrophic event coming. Not really understanding the whole concept of it, he gets scared. He tells a few friends about it and together they start making plans to build a tree house for shelter. Granted, to some adults this might look like a ridiculous idea that does not help anything, but to these children who only understand the basic feeling of fear of the unknown, it is their way of trying to exhibit some kind of control over the events of their lives. I see it as very insightful and creative, as well as courageous. Some people who see it as a joke or pointless ridicule the boy when he tells them about his project with his friends. This scenario is full of actions and reactions. The boys basic reaction to his fear of the information he was exposed to caused the action of him telling his friends. This action caused the reaction of his friends and him to make plans to prepare for this event. The boy's action of sharing his project with others created the reaction of some to ridicule him. The action of their voiced ridicule was not completely thought through before it was voiced. The reaction from this ridicule was most likely a shot to the boy's self esteem, making him feel ridiculous. Perhaps the reaction should have been to encourage the boy's bravery and power to think of solutions to problems at such a young age, or to praise his determination for survival. Then the boys reaction would have been pride at receiving others approval, or a sense of accomplishment at having had such a good idea, or a feeling of leadership at having inspired action in his friends. The lesson to be learned from this scenario is that we as a society should embrace positive things and reciprocate them with positive reactions. We should uplift our fellow human beings and offer constructive criticism rather than harmful ridicule. In doing this the reactions that we ourselves receive will be more favorable and positive, causing our own actions to be more positive. See how it works? We can spread positive reactions by changing our own actions to be more positive...

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