My Gift To Humanity is My Attention
My gift to our conflict-ridden and suffering world is my attention. I don’t have a lot of money, but I do have time. So this is my New Year’s Resolution, and I would encourage it to be yours, as well.
I am, in short, comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable through my real life and social media efforts. It is difficult, to say the least, but I believe it is my responsibility as a relatively privileged human on this planet.
Here is why.
Responsibility I believe accrues through privilege. People like you and me have an unbelievable amount of privilege and therefore we have a huge amount of responsibility. We live in free societies where we are not afraid of the police; we have extraordinary wealth available to us by global standards. If you have those things, then you have the kind of responsibility that a person does not have if he or she is slaving seventy hours a week to put food on the table; a responsibility at the very least to inform yourself about power. Beyond that, it is a question of whether you believe in moral certainties or not. — Noam Chomsky
With Great Privilege Comes Great Responsibility
We all live busy lives. Information overload and distressing themes have so many of us looking away. It’s too difficult to see. There is nothing I can do. These are the myths we tell ourselves.
How it is we have so much information, but know so little? — Noam Chomsky
But when we accept that our blessings in this world come with a responsibility to also lift others up — as we ourselves were lifted up in life by those who loved and cared for us — it becomes very clear that we have a responsibility not to ignore those who suffer and struggle in our world.
Absolute Privilege Corrupts Absolutely
It’s meaningful that in our world, the most powerful among us are typically the most privileged. To be unconsciously privileged means to not understand nor respect the struggles of others. To be consciously privileged means reaching out to those less privileged. We are in this together and we need to lift everyone up.
How Do We Overcome Cultural Gridlock?
We are taught not to care too much about anyone who isn’t directly relevant to our lives. We have been conditioned not to listen to those who have not attained privilege and power. We tell ourselves it’s what we must do to survive — we don’t want to end up like them, so we drink the kool aid the powerful dispense: that to be like them, we must act like them. And that means not caring if caring doesn’t in some way improve our individual circumstances. We worship sacred cows called money and material possessions, and privilege the individual, even though so many souls are withering from loneliness.
The beauty of our system is that it isolates everybody. Each person is sitting alone in front of the tube, you know. It’s very hard to have ideas or thoughts under those circumstances. You can’t fight the world alone.
Who and What Needs Your Attention?
This is where critical thinking comes in. There is far too much emphasis placed on paying attention, or not paying attention, to what our greed and corruption-based economic systems want us to.
All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume. — Noam Chomsky
We are co-creating the future and we each bear great responsibility. Let’s pay attention to the voices crying out all over our planet, linked together by our beautiful Internet.
So, what did you do today to help save the world?
About Lisa Galarneau, Ph.D: I am a socio-cultural anthropologist, futurist, US Army veteran, and mother. I am also the founder of the Planetary Liberation Front — A Revolution of Mind. We’re looking for contributors, so please contact me if you’re interested! Or join us on Facebook!
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