I've written a lot about accountability....I haven't been shy about my thoughts that we don't do near enough as individuals or society to hold people accountable for their actions. But, it dawned on me this week during a conversation with a friend that it isn't just the accountability that is the issue - we've grown complacent as a society. How many times when you see or hear someone doing something wrong do you really step in and say something....or do you do the "non-confrontational" thing and sit back and do nothing? We've grown complacent as a society and it is literally killing us.
Take healthcare for example. We've grown complacent about our healthcare system not meeting our needs as consumers - and that is what we are....consumers. If we went in to the mechanic and they ran diagnostics on our car....did a thing or two and didn't fix it.....we would be dissatisfied customers but more importantly would we use that same mechanic? Highly doubtful....so why do we go back to physicians who are inept? Because it is easier than changing our PCP with our insurance plan....or it is someone we have some type of relationship with and we don't want to take the time to demand better for ourselves....or a hundred and one other reasons that all boil down to the fact we are complacent.
How many of us see things at work day in and day out that we know are just wrong. We look the other way....not only do we not hold people accountable we are complacent about it...we make excuses like well that's always the way it has been. So if you see an injustice in the world you sit back idly and say nothing? While I agree fear is a great motivator....fear of losing your job...fear of being labeled the "bitch" or "difficult" because you speak up shouldn't handcuff you and keep you from doing what you know is the right thing to do.
We are complacent about our politicians. We complain about policies and fiscal irresponsibility but, we vote the same people back in to office. How many times around election time have you heard someone say...."No, I'm not voting - I don't like anyone running." Yet, they are one of the first to bitch about our current situation. If you don't get off your ass and do something to change it then SHUT THE HELL UP!
I could go on and on about all the things we are complacent as a society about....the treatment of women, the treatment of our animals (and I'm a firm believer that if someone is an ass to an animal that will tell you what kind of person they are), the lack of effective social programs - and I'm talking about everything from some type of affordable health insurance to our broken education and prison systems. Complacency is killing us. Are we just that lazy as a society that we do nothing? Are we just that beaten down that we live in fear of some type of social retribution so we do nothing? How do we expect things to change if we sit in silence and do nothing? If not us then who? If not now then when?
Kicking complacency to the curb
xoxo
Pandora
2 comments:
"All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Every point you made is absolutely true and valid, but I don't think it goes far enough. It's a vital place to start, recongnizing the social responsibilities of the individual. It's equally vital that we encourage that same spirit in everyone around us. However I believe that it is the primary duty of every parent to instill that as a virtue in our children. Ideals like service to others, the courage to take a stand and work to change their world.
But I don't think that it's complacency so much as apathy. Not caring is a much greater evil than just laziness. The next logical question is how do you wake up a whole society and make them see what is happening around them. I don't have that answer. The best I can come up is to be the example. In it's basic form, that's what the chivalry movement is all about.
Ok, there is much in your post that is very true and there are times that we should speak up. However, it is not always complacency that keeps people from speaking up. You say that fear of losing one's job is only a complacent reason for not speaking up. That is not looking at the whole situation. What happens if you lose your job because you told your boss's boss that they were wrong or sexist. It is not just one person who will suffer. It is not just a job, it is a life (kids and family). Not everyone can just go out a get another job or survive without one. They must evaluate what harm will stem from that action. So in some situations, it is not complacency that keeps our mouths shut but common sense.
Now those situations aside, there are times when we as individuals and as a society should say something or do something. Butch is right we must teach our children to do and say what they think is right. I caught myself today on the verge of teaching my son to not speak up, so if you wondering if your blog had an effect, I can tell you that it does. He (my son) was right, he should tell the coach if the pitch count was wrong, even if the coach would not listen (btw, he did tell and the coach did not listen).
For all other situations, maybe you are right, if a person doesn't want to risk everything/anything to change it then maybe they should "SHUT THE HELL UP!" On the other hand, maybe we don't have to risk very much, maybe we can take baby steps, test the water so to speak, see what happens when we do say something or do something.
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