By Vikram Singh
If one types “why are newspapers full of bad news” on Google, one will find lots of interesting articles and researches on that subject. I’m sure there are lots of positive things happening around the world but the sheer amount of negativity has started to numb my senses. Open any newspaper today and you’ll know what I mean. Now, imagine my non-existent dismay on reading so much about the current crisis situation in Chennai, various terrorist attacks around the globe, worsening climate situation and whatnots. Next, try to feel my surprise at that non-existent dismay and now ask yourself the question that I ask of myself often: Where is the balance?
It is generally accepted that the balance of everything is a universal and omnipresent law. Be it good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, up vs. down, love vs. hate (or indifference if you are that particular about it) in short, everywhere. Is it not news-worthy if a person donates money for assistance of Chennai flood victims? Why not! That person donates Rs. 500 that he had saved from one year’s worth of pocket money. Still not good enough, right? His parents are barely above the Indian Poverty Line and being a loving and caring son, he very well knows the importance of every single penny and yet he decides to donate. But c’mon, even this is not going to the newspapers; every inch of space on the papers is worth a lot. So what is the point of saying all this? Simple, it is the reason why that person decides to donate. Good Karma!
Big and small organizations are spending millions of dollars in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities today. If it were possible to tally the total charities made each year across the globe, one would be left dumbfounded by the figure. Take just the official statistics of charity in USA – well over $300 billion in 2014 – and one might start to comprehend just how big such simple and often seemingly small things are. Hundreds of awards are given globally to brave individuals, inspiring figures, amazing intellectuals etc. In other words, there is so much good all around us that one could start a special daily (if one is so inclined), “The Good Times of Today”, fill it with just the positive happenings and still get a strong readership.
There is only one simple purpose of this article: to draw your attention to the other side. Remember, there is always balance. When you next read about the extinction of dinosaurs, you should be able to feel the sadness caused by that void. When you next hear about the history of World Wars, you should be able to comprehend the pain in that history. The next natural disaster you get to know about should shake you at the core. If all that doesn’t happen then I’ll be sorry to have the company of another person with non-existent dismay! Focus on positivity…there is plenty of it around! Elbert Hubbard once said “Positive anything is better than negative nothing”. I’ll leave it up to you to read between the lines.
About the Author: Vikram Singh is a graduate of Mumbai University. He has worked in the technology sector and is currently pursuing MBA at IIM Kozhikode. His interests are writing, painting, music, theatre, table tennis. He has also won accolades in pool.