With all the horrid things that are going on, it is easy to get caught up in the nastiness of this world. In fact, even more so than being easy, cruelty is encouraged.

For most of us, when we see a situation where something is wrong, it is instinctual for us to find SOMETHING to blame. What you choose to blame is usually influenced by your background or your environment, and causes you to be biased on the situation before you even figure out what happened. Your friend on Facebook said you should be mad because of this or that reason, so you are. You make a biased opinion and vocalize it loudly. This is usually done with little to no research done on the problem. OUR WORLD IS AN ELITE AT MAKING SNAP-JUDGEMENTS.

But notice this: You look for someone to blame the situation on. Not for something to fix to make the situation better....that's a problem.

We all do it. It's cultural. It's environment. It's political. And it's habitual. Almost everything we are exposed to tells us to speak anger first and refuse to listen to others second.

IT IS NOT OUR INSTINCTIVE REACTION TO LOOK AT A SITUATION WITH COMPASSION AND KINDNESS.......this is a problem.

People in this world do not understand that they are pushing themselves up ONLY by pushing others down. You don't need to criticize others just so that you feel better about yourself.

It is saddening, and depressing, that this is the world we live in. However....I refuse to join it.

I refuse to look a person and pick out everything that is wrong with them, before I even know their name. I refuse to see a situation and fuel the fire with my own judgements instead of joining in the effort to put it out. I refuse to act as though I know every right answer and anyone who disagrees with me is stupid and close-minded....I refuse to be cruel.

I want to train myself so that I see a stranger on the street and I smile.....when was the last time you did that?

I want to be able to look at a situation with logic and reason and not biased opinion.

I want to have compassion and kindness towards others, even if they don't deserve it.

What a world we would live in if the Love of Jesus was an instinctual reaction...

This world has enough tragedies (wars, hurricanes, earthquakes) in it without adding our own vile hate towards either into the mix. What a world we would live in, if instead of turning a tragedy into a meme or a gif, that people would come together and help one another heal.

I think deep down we all would want that, but we don't take the time to train ourselves to fight this social norm of cruelty. You don't just change over night. And reading some random article on a college student's blog isn't going to change you.

.....but just maybe....it'll inspire you to change yourself...