A good way to work for a more peaceful world is to develop concern for others.

A good way to work for a more peaceful world is to develop concern for others. – Dalai Lama

Fireworks at midnight? On New Years Eve it’s OK. Otherwise you’re not showing concern for other’s sleep, are you?

What does that mean?
This quote urges us to consider how to make for a more peaceful world. The quote says that being concerned for others will help bring peace to the world. If you think about it, and consider the concerns of others before you act, you are less likely to do something that will irritate others, right?

In this manner, you can help keep things calm and peaceful, rather than angered and inflamed. By considering what your options are, and what the concerns of others might be, you can probably find a way to get what you desire while irritating the fewest possible people.

In the post from this time last week, we talked about how concern could work within a person, to help dissolve the anger held within. This week, we will consider what can happen when that same concern is applied to the world without, rather than the world within, and how that could make for a slightly more peaceful world.

Why is concern for others important?  
Think about a world where everyone did what was best for them (or at least what they thought was best for them) with absolutely no concern for how their actions would impact others? While such people do exist, most are a bit more considerate, or at least they are around me.

But what kind of mess would you have if a large number of people behaved in that manner? Things would be pretty chaotic, wouldn’t it? And imagine how many people would be upset, perhaps even outraged, at some of these actions? That would get ugly fast, wouldn’t it?

Imagine the yelling, the fighting, the riots over trivial things. Then realize that most of these things could have been avoided if only a little bit of brain power had been applied up front. So why is having some concern for others important in general, and towards a more peaceful world? Is that an easier question to answer now?

Where can I apply this in my life?
I imagine that most of you have known at least one person who seem to delight in annoying people by doing what they want to do in a way that annoys the maximum number of people. How much fun would they be at a party, or would they likely be the reason a fight broke out?

Now imagine over seven billion people all over the world being that petty and that mean. That’s not a pleasant thought, even with only sticks and stones as weapons. It would only be uglier with access to weapons, and even worse still if only some had access to weapons, right?

OK, let’s shake that thought out of our heads. Most people are far nicer than that. Couple that with the knowledge that nearly everyone shuns the inconsiderate people who annoy others out of ignorance or malice. But like anything humans do, there is always room for improvement.

What can each of us do to help work towards a more peaceful world? What can we do to be more concerned for others? If you have loud parties or work on cars at 3am, how concerned are you about your neighbors and their ability to sleep? I would say that there is less peace in your neighborhood if you behave in that manner, wouldn’t you?

That would be one way to be concerned for others, to keep sane hours (by their standards). It might also help to actually know a few of your neighbors. They can clue you in on what their least favorite things are, and perhaps those of a few other neighbors. That way you can try to take into consideration their concerns.

Some might work odd shifts, or work on days you have off. Others might have young children or elderly parents living with them. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a party, it just means it might not run as late or as loud. Or you might turn the music down a little at 10pm, and again at midnight.

Other ways to develop concern about others would also be based on getting to know them. In knowing them, you can learn at least a little about their hopes and dreams, their likes and dislikes, as well as their needs and wants. You might even learn some of their story, why they are the way they are, and how they got to be that way.

Then there is the generic human concern one can show for people in immediate need. This is less about a more peaceful world than providing assistance for those who have a compelling need. However, after the emergency is over, there is usually a gratitude towards those who provided help from those who received it. And that can help make for a more peaceful world.

The world has enough problems already. Anything we can do to help is, in my belief, a worthy act. There are many ways in which we can act. Even if it is a small act. Even if it only helps one person. Concern for others adds up. We won’t always act in the best possible manner, but if we keep trying, we can keep things moving in our favor.

From: Twitter, @DalaiLama
confirmed at : it’s from his own feed…
Photo by Ha-Wee