People!
 
They're so strange and silly.
Cooped up in their own little worlds, too busy with their own ideals and visions of their personal paradise clouding their everyday judgement!
Our needs are to consume, to buy, to own and to be recognized by others for it (consuming their respect).
So many bad things happen around us while we stand on the sidelines and comment on a news story, instead of actually actively solving the problem.

Day after day we are bombarded with news only meant to shock us!
Discussion value? None! It's all "Did you hear about that?" or "Isn't this scandelous?" no matter what the subject.
Beatings, rapings or basic theft, every crime is happening around us for all the wrong reasons and if its not actively hurting us, we are inclined to do next to nothing about it.
 
The fact that religion and age old rules somehow seem to triumph over common sense is disgusting and a crime against humankind!
No book, no rule and no belief can condone the misery inflicted in all of these cases.
A brutal beating just because you're from Iran? 
Raped because the man decided you were asking for it?
Corporate world draining you for all you got just because they can?
The poor familyman being robbed on his way to home in a dark alley because they cut back on police (and street lighting!) funds?
 
These are all problems happening around us, problems we like to view but from a safe distance.
We stand by as bus drivers get beaten up and as a result skip certain stops.
The result? The driver got fined for skipping stops.
They couldn't put some muscle on the bus or otherwise reinforce security, no they couldn't.
The driver had to do his rounds and get beaten up day after day.
This happened behind my previous school, this happened next to a kindergarten.
These things just happen everywhere and the bottom line is always money when it comes to resolving them.
 
We can't send a unit over just because someone's fiddling with the lock of your frontdoor ma'm, it could be a cat.
"But I just looked out of the window and I can clearly see its a person trying to get in."
No ma'm, we can't do anything, call us when something illegal happens.
 
Which is always too late.
Preventing is better than curing!
 
I won't say I lost faith in humanity, because I haven't even by a long shot, but I'm just hurt over the distance created by our own species.
We label, we ignore and we only look after ourselves.
A logical goal, I know I'm very much concerned about myself when needed, but we need not forget that we are a social species.
We have a system and a social structure that is (if barely) functioning.
 
Smile, for a change, and take a chance.
The world won't smile back and you won't find eternal happiness all of a sudden, but perhaps you may just make someone else's day a whole lot better.
 
What prompted me to write this (and let my coffee get cold)?
I happened upon a man today who went out of his way to help me with a simple thing.
To him and others it might have seen like nothing special, it saved my day and meant the world to me.
 
Believe in yourself people, and believe in doing good.
But don't donate to all those charities while you're at it though, that's just scamming in my opinion!^^ 
 

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

Y'know, this is all well written and powerful stuff. Should have attached it to the forums. Spread the love :P or hate... and the love in wanting to change the hate.

People indeed.

yeah major downside to Capitalism is that encourages excessive self-interest, people do forget that humans are social creatures and are often happiest in positive communal situations. C'est la vie.

eh, it doesn't me as much as it used to. I no longer care if people give back, I just try to help others when I can because I prefer to do things the way I'd like to see them done.

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

! I'm not asking for uber major love between all of mankind...but damnit, a little kindness will fix a lot of problems!

it certainly would at that. Even the tiniest of things like making small talk with waitresses and shop clerks seems to make their days a noticeably better. It gets dehumanizing I'm sure to be treated as a transaction. Costs me nothing to do, but sure seems appreciated.

Of course there's much bigger things that can be done to make the world a better place (and some of which that I try to do) but it's amazing how much of the little stuff people don't do. The number one thing I've noticed about homeless people in my city is how lonely they are (the second being that many are mentally ill). That seems to be true of nursing home patients too. Besides the obvious stuff of physical/monetary help, I think many just want some companionship to be recognized as being a person. To have friends, people to talk to, to not be avoided, things like that. I don't do that much other than talk to them as I would anybody else but I'm often told that I do a lot more than most people, and that to me is kind of scary.

Still anytime I feel down about things like this, I seem to run into people such as yourself who notice the same stuff, and I feel better that I'm alone in feeling this way!

Glad someone did something nice for you today and hope you pass it on!

Hhhhhmmmm. Interesting read.

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

I'm currently considering becoming something like a social worker for teens, I love helping out and my experience with all sorts of 'shit' will only benefit them.

Hey that's great! Having "been there" helps a lot when trying to make a connection with someone so they'll actually value what you have to say.

I have a relative who used to be a social worker (and one who still is). He enjoyed the work and he always said he enjoyed feeling like he was making a difference. Eventually he did have to quit after a decade or so as it really wore him out (especially emotionally). If you go into that line of work make sure you look after yourself too. It can be hard sometimes to not bring work (or really feelings/exhaustion from work) home with you. Some people are better at finding balance than others.

Besides that, I hope to get a message across in my books. I hate people, but I love them too.

Hah I know the feeling! The way I've often thought about it is that "people are great, humanity not so much".

And good luck with your book(s)!

@TaliciaDragonsong: my pleasure!

What I was trying to say with my previous post is that your assessment of this cruel world isn't unique or innovative. Throughout human history atrocities like these have happened and they'll continue to happen. Take the Bible, for example. I know you hate religion with a passion, but just take the book for what it is. Not the Word of God, but a book written by men. Men who observed their surroundings. And their fellow man's feisty behaviour. Often situated in troubled times (Why else would you write?! 'Happy people have no stories' - Therapy?, right?). Timothy wrote about such times in 2 Tim. 3:1-5.  
 
1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

 
In short, nothing has changed back then, nothing will change (much) now. We will repeat history over and over again.

 
But I'll keep smiling and carry hope in my heart. Otherwise, what else there'd be to live for? = )