"The Greatest Threat to the Planet is the belief that Someone Else will save it"

Human psychology is a tricky subject to be discussed as human behaviour can be the most unpredictable at times. One such instance is when one believes that their responsibilities shall be fulfilled by others. For example, in our homes, when there is a quarrel between two people, we generally tend to leave them alone to continue with their fight. We never consider the question whether that small fight might lead to something even bigger and dangerous .If this happens, that is the time we realise that it had all started with the fight which we could have prevented.

In a similar manner, if we place the planet in place of our homes and all mankind in place of our families, we shall find that we have been doing this sort of a mistake on a global scale as well. Then, the usual human response is to complaint about the problems that we ourselves have contributed to. Not only this, but we do it in all fields of life. Whether it be regarding the environment or world peace, scarcity of basic needs or delay in justice, we are always ready to hand over the responsibility to some other person.

Firstly, our environment is supposed to be solely our responsibility. Instead when the time comes to fulfilling our duty, we are the first people to blame it on someone else. Taking an instance from our daily lives, when we see waste polythene on the floor and are told to pick it up, our first reaction is the question that it might have been thrown by someone “else”, hence, why should “I” pick it up? Similarly when we throw something on the road, our typical mindset is that someone else shall pick it up. Hence, the process of destroying the environment is working both ways where one that is making the mistakes states that someone else is going to rectify it and the person who is asked to correct it, refuses by saying that since he hadn’t made the mistake, he wouldn’t correct it either.

Secondly, humanity - a term which has been developed from the word “human”. In spite of this fact, it is we, ourselves, who violate or even ignore the decrees of humanity. Our planet, Earth, is not just a place for us to live but to live peacefully without any fear. It is surprising that when it comes to our loved ones, our concern is immense but when it comes to strangers, we are least bothered. A simple example is something seen in day to day life. There are times when we come across people who are needy and helpless, without a roof above their heads. When a beggar comes to us asking for some money, we ignore probably thinking that there are many other people out there who shall help him. But we might never have thought that “why can’t I be one of those generous human beings?”

Thirdly, it is human relationships also which are at stake. As mentioned earlier, our Earth is not only a heavenly body made up of magma and rocks. It is this World made with love, kindness and generosity. It is not always that we can be “good” to others but we are at liberty to be “good” when we can. So, why not wipe a tear from somebody’s cheek? Why always check whether we “know” that person or not? And, even if we don’t know that person, it will not do any harm to us to spread a smile on someone’s face. This is how world peace can be restored by spreading harmony among all.

A few weeks ago I heard about a lady who has adopted an underprivileged child. Although such occurrences might be common in present day but still, there prevails a notion in the layman’s mind which is that “why shall I care for ‘someone else’s’ child? Well, my answer to the question would be that we ourselves are increasing the population day by day but never worrying about the already existing mass of people with no one to provide for them. Why not make our family with those already present human beings, benefitting both ways? Hence, this perspective covers my fourth point of rational thinking.

Concluding this essay, I would like to say that yes, there is always that “someone else” in our lives, but not for doing the things we are supposed to do. They are there to help us, support us but never act like a proxy for us. In fact, if we all, people of this world and children of Nature, accept all the differences and get together to save “Our Planet”, we can definitely do so. The title of this essay also makes another thing clear. It is this that even in our life, the short life that we all have, people come and go. They may hurt us or do just the opposite by giving happiness to us. One job they shall never do is solve our problems for us neither fulfil our responsibilities for us. It is we, who have to go through the storms in our life to find sunshine. As in the words of Michael Jackson, let us

“Heal the world; make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race...”