In difficult times, it is easy to want to step back and say, “I don’t care,” even if you don’t feel that you should do so.  It can just be too much, too exhausting, to care about all the ills in our society.  When there are so many things to care about, it overwhelms us.  But that is exactly the reason that we should try to rise to the occasion.  

By ignoring the problems we see around us, we create a path for the unscrupulous to step in and fill in the void.  When decent people become complacent, evil can overcome good.  The vigilance of good people is necessary for the safety of the vulnerable.  That’s  why we must decide whether or not we dare to care.

When there are destructive forces making it impossible for some people to even live a simple life, there is something terribly wrong with society.  Apathy is a scourge that threatens us all because it is contagious.  But caring is contagious too.  Strong emotions are like that.

Every major religion asks its followers to love one another and care for the poor.  But this is not a natural occurrence.  It is something we need to initiate from within ourselves.  We must choose to care.

When we are children, however, we naturally start out being concerned for others.  Psychologist Michael Tomasello, in an article in Stanford News, states:  

“From when they first begin to walk and talk and become truly cultural beings, young human children are naturally cooperative and helpful in many—though obviously not all—situations. And they do not get this from adults; it comes naturally.”

Daring to care, requires that we encourage the next generation to continue this altruistic behavior.  Therefore, I suggest that we, as adults, encourage our children to continue to do what they naturally do, by being kind and caring to those around us.  Our examples, in action, speak louder than words.  And then it follows that we can raise the next generation to be mindful of our fellow humans and dare to care.