I want to issue a disclaimer now: I don't pretend to be an expert on current events whatsoever. However, I do consider myself to be a compassionate person, and I don't think I can stand by as I watch family and friends fall to ignorance and fear on social media.

The world is a rough place filled with rough people. In the last couple of months, wars have broken out, shootings and bombings have occurred in several different nations, and millions of people find themselves without a single thing to their name; I sit in my warm dorm room, and my only stress is the assignment I have been putting off all week. That is, until I log on to Facebook (to further my procrastination), where within seconds I find post after post about how "Muslims are behind all the major terrorist attacks in the world," and how "refugees will try to force their culture on us." And these are the more kindly-worded posts. I feel my face growing hotter as more and more people, from all ends of the political spectrum, share memes, videos, and posts filled with biases and opinions. People I respect and hold in high regard, falling to pathetic, fear-driven posts (there are some fact based posts, but few and far between).

It's at this moment that I have to step back and think for a second. Why are so many people putting up walls to others opinions? Even the people I agree with seem to have taken an aggressive, unresponsive stance. Perhaps I, too, am shutting out the knowledge I do not wish to hear. But why?

We are afraid. We see a nation, France, which we believed to be a mostly stable and peaceful nation, hit hard by the war that should be far from their safety. We hear of more and more "horror stories" of refugees flooding nations, ruining economies, and pulling the nations down. We know we are safe and sound, far away from all of the violence, but now we are taking a more active role in the affairs of these people. And guess what? It is scary.

However, I firmly believe that this does not give us reason to fall to the cruelty that often comes with the fear. Instead, we must become educated about the problem and solutions; we won't get anywhere if we keep ourselves partially in the dark. Additionally, we need to open our hearts to the struggles of the world. We should not look down on the common man, because we are the common man. In a world of over 7 billion people, we are beyond lucky to have been born into the situation we have been, and not take that for granted.

Here's my suggestion: Go out and read up on what you are talking about. Read news from reputable sources, check up on the information you are being fed, and find information from all different political spectra, nations, and walks of life. Instead of trusting information provided by "Donald Trump Will Save My Guns From Socialists," and "Liberal Lovers of Bernie Sanders and Free Speech," you should read an article or two from BBC or The New York Times. Never take anything for face value.

Next, go out and do a random act of kindness. Hold the door open for someone, or donate money to refugee relief. Hug your children, friends, spouse, neighbor, coworker. If you're afraid of Muslims, learn about their religion. If you don't trust a certain ethnicity, befriend an individual of said ethnicity. It's the season of thanks and sharing, so act like it.

Spread the love. Spread knowledge. End fear. End ignorance. Believe in the goodness of others. And learn to listen.