"Indifference"

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."
~ Elie Wiesel

Today I want to write about "indifference" - one of the biggest problems in this day and age. Indifference, according to the Webster Dictionary, means: "1. Lack of concern, interest, or feeling; apathy. 2. Lack of diligence, dedication and devotion. 3. Attitude and actions that say, 'I don't care!'" Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said "our world is suffering from indifference! Indifference is APATHY, not caring..." Why is it that today so many people, young and old, just don't care about others and about themselves? They lack compassion, kindness, love, passion... They live like zombies or robots devoid of feelings. I'm a firm believer that one of the greatest lessons we must learn in this life is to LOVE (to love unconditionally): love others, love ourselves, love what we do; and even love what we have to do when we're not particularly thrilled about it (a job or certain situation in our lives) - because we know that is the means to a good end.

Life is not perfect, we are not perfect; but we must learn to be PASSIONATE! Passionate about life, passionate about what we do, passionate about making a difference, some how... We must take a stand when we see injustices, and we must learn to be in touch with our feelings. As a teacher, I unfortunately see, and know of, many students who lack "passion" and "dedication," and that show a great amount of "indifference." I hope we can motivate some of them (hopefully all of them) to care more about themselves, about others, and about their life (and the life of others)! It's really up to us to change our situations, to overcome obstacles, to improve ourselves, to become better persons and make a difference in our world - but it starts with us. Challenges will always exist; but we can face them straight on, embrace them, and eventually become stronger persons as we conquer them. Let's remember Mahatma Ghandi's words: "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

How many times do we have to hear about people who stood still and did nothing when someone was in trouble? I know there are still many caring and compassionate people out there; but we must unite and spread the "caring" vibe so that others learn from us and stop the disease of indifference and selfishness. Stay positive! Do your best!