I know what you are thinking. "The future is bright? The environment is ready to collapse, the systems in place are exploitative and have been hijacked by maniacs, there is still sickening war and poverty and greed and corruption. Antibiotics are losing their effectiveness, new diseases will pop up as global warming continues, overpopulation complicates everything and so on. It's the end of the world!"

I offer two ways of looking at things. For the spiritually inclined, realize that you create your own reality with your thoughts, emotions and beliefs. For the non-spiritual, I was lying, the same goes for you, but feel free to take a more scientific, skeptical approach. Even if we are not individuated incarnations of a higher power, thoughts and ideas clearly have the power to influence the world, there is no denying it. Whether or not you choose to admit it, that includes YOU. Your actions effect the world around you. Even if you don't personally change the world in any big notable way, you may give birth to someone who does, you may offer kindness to a stranger who later goes on to use that energy to do great things, you may say just the right thing and just the right time to inspire a shift in the entire direction of humanity.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way and I've provided you with this beautiful stock photography that exemplifies the human condition, let's get to the point:

Empathy

It's the solution to everything, and despite what it looks like, we have more of it than we have ever had in the history of the our civilization.

Do we really have more empathy than ever before?

Think about it. Not so long ago, being treated as less than human based on your race, gender or sexual orientation was widely considered acceptable. Some were murdered and some were denied freedom, some were ignored and others were considered unnatural perversions. These kinds of atrocities still occur, but our response to them, to a large extent has changed. I know there are still racists, homophobic and misogynists, but large portions of the population do not accept or encourage these actions. Terrible things that used to go ignored are now brought into the spotlight where we can engage with them from across the world.

This brings me to another big factor in the change, perhaps one of the biggest, the internet. Our worlds have become so much smaller and we now have a way to circumvent the sometimes-oppressive ideals of our immediate surroundings. A rich suburban kid can watch videos and become a supporter of someone poor and uneducated with something important to share. Two people from two backgrounds which are still in conflict with each other have the opportunity to communicate directly, across physical boundaries and create a bond that makes way for understanding. We are able to watch videos of events as they happen that prove or disprove what the media is sharing with us. This has exposed all kinds of things which, in the past were easily covered up and glossed over, from income inequality to corporate corruption to abuses in human rights to the perverted ideals of powerful people who we would otherwise find praiseworthy. While many have yet to fully take advantage of this new, more open way of seeing the world, more and more people are beginning to open their eyes to the realities of others. Our bubbles are beginning to burst.

One really beautiful example of someone who is connecting with the world and sharing with us despite an environment which does not encourage such a direction was posted by @beemillz in this post, a really nice read about generational gaps, and I find it full of reason to be optimistic.

Obviously there are still many people who haven't caught up with the times. There is still one barrier that pervades and it's causing a lot of confusion now. The fear of the "other" still exists within many people. The individual is to blame in part, but every individual is a product of their environment. It was easier to hold on to the myth of the other when they were on the other side of walls and oceans with no way to learn about them directly. No more, and if we learn to listen better and break free of the limitations we set on ourselves by assuming that we always have the right answer, we will begin to see the opportunities we have to mend age old problems through real human interaction.

The world does not require a majority of people to catch on to this in order for it to change drastically for the better. If a strong minority begins to understand the implications, they can cause huge shifts in human consciousness. Some of that is happening right here on Steemit.

Why is empathy the solution?

When we are able to truly see others the way they see themselves, we understand what made them who they are, it becomes impossible to continue to see them as "the other" and bridges can begin to form where walls once existed. Trust can begin to form and interdependent relationships will develop as a result. When the people of two warring nations begin to build bonds like this, their fear begins to dissipate, and while those with the most influence over the two nations may continue to wage war, public support for it will be stifled, potentially leading to peace. When the rich begin to trust more in humanity and it's potential, they will feel less reason to hoard all the earths resources and exploit them for their own personal benefit. When the poor begin to humanize them (without having to excuse them for what they do), it will speed up the process. When we discover that we are all capable of committing atrocities, we will focus less on punishment and strict laws and more on prevention and supportive community and education.

When you feel empathy, you no longer see the need to lie to others and create distance. You develop a strong desire to help others who you might otherwise ignore or even blame for their own problems. You are compelled to be a better person. Start with yourself. Trust wherever and whenever you can and see your environment and interactions change with you.

I am not saying to start blindly trusting your overlords or those who seek to harm you or benefit from taking advantage of you. There are still reasons to take precautions. But make full use of the transparency that the internet has provided with regards to what is going on in the rest of the world, keep in mind that we are all capable of both the best and the worst that humanity has to offer and if you haven't already, you will begin to see just how connected we all are and just how much influence you can have on making the world a better place.

I hope to write many more articles like this one. By resteeming, upvoting or checking out my fiction and becoming a Patron at my Patreon page, you make it much easier for me to provide ideas and inspiration in any way that I can. Have an awesome day!