"Start with yourself" - an unpopular idea that can make a difference

This idea has a bad reputation

The phrase "always starts with yourself" automatically face grimaces. She stuffed on edge, because it is used as a synonym for the expression "What you climb where you do not ask for a trail." In this sense the meaning of it is really small, and it is not surprising that it is annoying.

It is a way to shift responsibility from those who are ex-officio have to solve some problems. Nurses and nurses in the hospital without financial gratitude treat the patient as a log? At the entrance is not cleaned for several months? Money from the budget went to someone's pockets? "Start with yourself" - say the counselors, and the most strange it sounds.

The medical staff, the management company, government officials and many others are obliged to carry out their work in accordance with the rules and without

In addition, the phrase "Start with yourself" implies that you are not doing anything to solve the problem. The meaning is the same as in the question "Do you have ceased to drink brandy in the morning?" - get out of the situation will not work without justification, and it puts you in a vulnerable position. But you have nothing to defend.

The call to start with yourself, come from outside, usually does not bode well. But a lot of chances to be successful in the internal impulses.

It is important to learn the art of small steps

With the shifting of responsibility to investigate, but even without this the idea to start with yourself still many weaknesses. For example, it is obvious that if you stop using sprays, the ozone hole from this will not last. Or, say you're sorry small animals and we decided not to buy fur, but did not find the strength to give up meat and leather products.

Do not try to grasp the immensity. No one expects you to heroic deeds (and if so, you are not required to meet the expectations). Any action, and in some cases inaction matters.

Dark-skinned American Rosa Parks refused to give up a bus seat to white man. And Dorothy Counts ventured to transfer to a school for whites, though could not study there longer than a week because of the harassment and humiliation. These are not as ambitious, at first glance, the steps made history and have become important elements in the fight against racial segregation. They argue: much will change if everyone starts with yourself.

Give yourself permission to put the effort that can.

Someone builds shelters, someone wrote an article, someone talks about the concerns of its problems near, someone is not doing evil - all this is already done. And that's why.

You are not alone

Even people with large eccentricities find like-minded people. If you see a global problem and try to deal with it, the world certainly there are those who agree with you. Alone, you do not deal with, but together you make a significant contribution.

You are still changing the world, even around you

If you start with yourself, the changes are obvious to others. Someone thinks you are weird, and someone will take your example.

Not all doubtful things in the world are committed to evil, some just out of ignorance. To argue with opponents often meaningless. But in your power to win over those who simply are not aware of the problem.

Your conscience will be clean

If one day you truly imbued with some sort of idea, turning back anymore. Of course, you can reassure yourself that your efforts do not solve anything. But guilt is already not going anywhere, and it can be great to poison existence.

Yes, you can not clean the ocean of garbage, if you just start to pack fruit in reusable bags. But, at least, your plastic bags in the water will not.

Efforts have a value of one person

In psychology, there is such a term as bystander effect. The more people that appears next to the scene of an accident, the lower of which is trying to help. Everyone hopes that it will make someone else.

For the first time the effect has been described in connection with the murder of Kitty Genovese. The crime was committed before the eyes of the residents of an apartment building for half an hour. The killer struck the girl with a knife, but it startled cry of one of the neighbors. Kitty wounded crawled to the courtyard, where she was later found and struck the offender.

It is believed that one of the neighbors still call the police, but was unable to describe the situation correctly. As a result, aid has arrived on a call the person, who was not even a witness. One of the neighbors called two of his friends to consult, what to do. A friend contacted his friend, and he has already called the police. Patrol arrived after the second attack, and Kitty died in the ambulance.

This is not the only case. Just think, how many of your friends actually call the police when he heard cries for help under a window or in a neighboring apartment.

If we are not talking about global problems - world peace or salvation of marine life - your actions can actually change everything. It's not just about the situations at stake in someone's life and health. If something good can be done by anyone, why not do it to you.

At the same time we must not forget about yourself

The care needs not only the world but you. As they say in the plane, in the event of cabin depressurization, put a mask on yourself first, then at the child, otherwise you suffocate, and can not help it.

In life, everything is the same: if you do not have the resource to save the world, you do not do anything. Therefore it is necessary to start with self-help.

It sounds selfish, but it's nothing bad. Healthy ego allows you to find a balance between their interests and those of others, making everyone wins.

A small step for a man is not always a big step for mankind, but it is enough to change a lot. Share this text to tell: start with yourself - a great idea.