Cultivate self-awareness for positive change

In this fragmented world, a sense of community needs safeguarding

“Man should not be in the service of society, society should be in the service of man. When man is in the service of society, you have a monster state, and that’s what is threatening the world at this minute.” – Joseph Campbell, The Power Of Myth.

Say what you want about money but its ability to uncover and amplify a person’s core is astounding.

Some people become hoarders, accumulating and gatekeeping their wealth for themselves and their inner circle.

Others use it to help the poor and those truly in need. More money means there are more things you can do for others.

Money does not only reveal the true nature of those who have it but also the nature of those who can merely desire and chase it as they don’t have it.

Some people view money as a zero-sum game; there is not enough money for everyone, only for a select few.

So they do whatever it takes to attain wealth for themselves, even if it means jeopardising the lives of others.

Others view it differently. To these people, there is plenty of money for everyone, especially if we learn to use it right.

They give and share what they have with others because they don’t feel threatened. They know how to empathise and put others before themselves.

People say money is the root of all evil but I don’t agree. Money only makes it easier for either vice or virtue to thrive.

This is not to say that one cannot prioritise oneself, but it is worth looking into your relationship with and desire for money, and seeing how it affects your relationship with the world.

Unfortunately, the support of trickle-down wealth is a chronic symptom of greed and desire to control.

Greediness has taken away one of the most important things that helped humanity to thrive – a sense of community.

From the early days of human history when we lived as small tribes out in the wilderness and vulnerable to the elements, this sense of community helped us to survive and thrive.

We had to depend on each other for food, shelter and protection. We pooled our resources and knowledge so we could all live another day.

Even today, community is still important.

We may not need each other for survival in the same basic way, but we still rely on each other for support, friendship and love. We need community to help us grow and learn.

In a previous column, I touched on how we have become slaves to our smart devices.

They help us connect with more people but ironically, disconnected us at the same time.

Glued to the screen, we miss out on meaningful face-to-face interactions and grow more isolated from others.

I concluded my previous column by urging readers to be more offline in an extremely online world.

Indeed, this fragmentation of society amplified by technology has resulted in a society of greed where everyone is out for themselves.

In such a society, there is no room for altruism or cooperation, only self-interest and competition.

There is constant pressure to succeed and outperform others. Such a society can be very destructive, both to the individuals within it and communities as a whole.

When we are overcome by a greedy society, the only chance at redemption requires painstaking cultivation of self-awareness and the altruism to use one’s own privilege for other than the self.

The ripple effects of change can be massive, but it needs a catalyst – you.

Change must indeed begin within the individual.

We cannot afford to sit and wait for someone else to do the difficult work of honest self-examination. It only takes one spark to ignite the light in a dark room.

We are currently at a stage where there is critical tension on our proverbial bows.

This tension has the strength to shoot our arrows towards further goals.

Now is the time to ask ourselves: Where do I want my arrow to land – onto the green pastures of possibility, or into the backs of innocents?

Shafiqah Othman is a women and children’s rights activist who has worked with various non-governmental organisations that focus on issues of fundamental human rights. She believes in the importance of intersectionality and strives to lend her platform to silenced voices.

The views expressed here are the writer’s own.