Humanity has evolved into a series of conflicts, betrayals, greed, a lack of concern for others, etc., such that every man is almost to himself. It's sad and scary that we fear our neighbors and find it hard to get good things from strangers and even friends.
Humanity has reached the point where we want to acquire all the wealth in the world (if possible) for ourselves and practically leave none for others. Nigeria is a typical example where the margin between the wealthy and the poor is wide beyond closure. We all have headaches with neighbors, and most times, you can't blame us. We have all become wary of one another; trust has become a word not held sacred.
Why I hold dear the above subject matter evolves the value not just for the individual but also for life and properties. Only if we could hold others dear to us would our streets be safe, opportunities would be fair, life would be valued, and society would be in harmony and progressive. My mom told me of the early days of Nigeria, where sellers would leave their goods by the roadside and buyers would pick items of their choice and drop the money for the owner. It was an era I never got to experience, and perhaps I would love to see it again in Nigeria, if possible.
Do you know that people are scared to do good to others? The intent is there, but the scary news of harm from good has scared many of us from doing good. Probably some scary news stemmed from myths and superstitions, but they would not be told if nothing of the sort happened. Here in Nigeria, it's common to hear that children picked money from the ground and turned to tubers of yam or that people had their destines thwarted after they gave alms to beggars.
We live in a society where we are scared of one another, and thus, we'll rather exhibit selfishness for ourselves. Personally, I advocate for self-care, but not at the detriment of a genuine and needy neighbor who is not out to exploit us.
I know the world cannot be balanced, or as the saying goes, 'life is not fair' but, when we hold others in high esteem, hardly any would be left behind. The rich man would not concentrate resources on his households alone, nor would the hoodlum think of attacking another. I love nothing more than peace and harmony, but because of the turn the world has taken, fear grips us into hiding spots rather than giving us the confidence of good neighborliness. The world would be a better place to live.
Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.