The Rubberneck Factor

Why is it that we allow ourselves to hear the rallying cry for the cause of the poor and disadvantaged only in times of emergency? Of course, I’m referring to the recent, devastating earthquake in Haiti. Now, before you call me a monster for being callous, I need to qualify this. I completely agree with the international community coming to the aid of this country in the wake of such a tragic event. My point is this: Haiti was already a nation plagued by poverty and lack of development. Thousands were previously in dire straits, eking out a less-than-meagre existence on a daily basis. And, they were not alone in their suffering.

Why, then, do the prosperous and resource-blessed nations of ‘The West’ require a large-scale, earth-shattering (please don’t mind the pun) incident to focus their attentions and energies? Perhaps it’s because of the increasingly narrow concentration of ownership within the global media scene? Fewer participants among the world’s media providers mean a noticeably more myopic and less diverse focus. In short, there are fewer lenses through which to observe current events. Something has to lose out. Or, maybe we just don’t believe we can make a difference, so why try? There are so many underprivileged and disadvantaged people – both within and outside our borders – what can we do to make the slightest change?

Well, it turns out, probably quite a bit. It all starts with our habits. I wrote an entry a while ago about some ideas concerning the formation of habits. I won’t go into the details here, but I will add that I think most of our behaviours are a matter of habit. In our technologically-driven, Western world, we are so caught up in the rush to go here and the urgency to buy that, we start to treat each other as obstacles instead of people. We won’t slow down to let someone merge in front of us because it will slow us down. We rage against the nerve of someone who enters our traffic lane, only to drive too slowly or pass by too rapidly, in our judgement, because their reasons for doing so couldn’t possibly be of any importance. It is that me-versus-the-world attitude, I believe, that is at the heart of it all: that habitual, oblivious disregard for others.

In the midst of our worries, possessions, and activities, who has time to notice anyone but themselves? We won’t spare a minute to slow down, to give attention to anyone else’s circumstances while we’re on our way. Unless, of course, there’s an accident ahead. We’ll slow our pace for that, and possibly, offer a thought – or even a prayer – for the unfortunate people involved. It’s this ‘rubberneck factor’ that kicks in whether we’re on the highway, or switching on the television. If it’s brought to our attention and we can’t help but notice, we generally become the considerate, empathetic persons we should endeavour to be on a more regular basis.

So, how do we begin to make a difference? We can’t change our behavior – our habits – or the world overnight. But, with each gesture of kindness or consideration, we take away from that seemingly insurmountable deluge of negativity and, in turn, add to the positive side of the equation. The person you let merge into your lane might then go home less likely to shut out the rest of the world for a short time, only to finally notice the envelope from a humanitarian agency that’s been sitting on the counter for days. Choosing to buy an article of clothing because it wasn’t made in a sweatshop rather than because of the brand name is another small, but potent gesture. The more this happens, the more likely that the youth of a developing nation will finally receive a fair wage for their labour. The global community we inhabit poses many challenges, but we are not powerless to affect them. In fact, we created it one individual action at a time. Acting with more conscious regard for others in our local experiences, then, will ultimately impact the global arena. We have but to slow down long enough to consider the everyday aspects of our lives in order to start the process.