I am not sermonising. I am not any self-proclaimed humanitarian. All I know is, above all the beliefs, including the belief in Religion/Faith, is the belief in Humanity.
In the last 15–16 months, globally we have witnessed a sharp contrast. We saw three types of people:
- There were people who were oblivious of the grief, the disaster, the crises that humankind faced in the form of health, job loss, hunger and more.
- There were people who exploited this opportunity to amass more wealth, and thus didn’t care about anything else but booking profit in the situation of urgency.
- And then there were people who were entirely, selflessly volunteering for help. They had an idea of what humanity is about. They were people with 3 Es: Emotions, Empathy and Effort.
Emotions to understand and feel the pain of those who were suffering. Empathy to ensure they don’t get mistreated and last but not the least, Effort to ensure that help is provided to the needy, in whichever way possible, in whatever quantity or form.
There are ways to single out people who are devoted to the cause of humanity or have sense of being a humanitarian from those who are entirely self-centric and don’t care and also those who use calamities as opportunities to make money or get fame. Following are the FIVE TRAITS of humanity:
- Thinking Beyond Self: The believers in humanity or those devoted to the cause of humanity, always think above and beyond self. People like Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teressa and many more have no ambition to grab power or fame or earn money from their efforts towards humanity. This trait is rare. By nature we are all selfish, or (self-centred) people. The first thing most humans, across the world, did was to hoard and stash stuff for self. There were rare who thought of the those needy and made an effort.
- Finding Ways to Help: Humanitarians don’t think how to help. Rather, they take the first step forward within no time and that’s the beauty. They have strong conviction that if they begin, help will come. I am not the one who celebrates Bollywood or a fan of any film star but this man Sonu Sood has surprised us ever since the covid19 broke out in India. From helping migrants to reach safely to their homes, to helping the hungry get food and providing access to care, he has done it all. Of course the work he has done may just be a few drops in the ocean but unlike many celebrated actors and personalities, he has not been promoting himself very overtly. In the picture below, which I haven’t verified, (but am sure it’s true) he is claiming to set up an Oxygen plant that will produce sufficient oxygen for a hospital everyday. It’s just a great idea.
In the event where not much has been done by establishments, governments and authorities, this kind of individual or collective efforts are noteworthy. India reeled under tremendous oxygen shortage due to which thousands of people died an untimely death. This step needs to be highlighted and applauded.
3. Welfare, Welfare & Welfare: Welfare is not a the prerogative of only a state or a government. This is a trait. And the people with high quotient of humanity have an equally high quotient of welfarism too. This means that the individual is not solely motivated by self-interest. It involves a lot of individual freedom of judgment, and is certainly not a mechanical computation. It’s more moral than mechanical.
4. Sharing: Generally, the concept of aid or giving or sharing is, to some extent, dictated by the needs and conditions that exist and the extent of the humanitarian crisis. For example, during a famine or in case of a natural disaster, individuals, institutions and governments get into motion and help/aid the affected people. However, this trait of humanity is not there in all. Unlike the wealth accumulators who remain selfish all throughout the time, those with the trait of humanity share with the mindset of care. I won’t hesitate in calling out the rich, capitalist philanthropists here. Although they have amassed wealth with a degree of exploitation of labour, however, giving it back to the needy, is indeed a great act. I am clearly separating the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is a forced mandate from pure acts of volunteerism.
5. No Expectations in Return: This is perhaps the biggest trait of humanity. Unlike those who expect return on every investment, true humanitarians don’t expect anything, and in many cases not even publicity. This is not an easy trait to have. Most donations are aimed at tax savings or most acts of charity or humanity are done to hog the limelight. However, there are a few who work selflessly with zero expectations in return.
In the end, I’d only say that humanity is not something you can acquire in a classroom. As I said earlier, it comes from within. If you have emotions, empathy and if you are ready to make an effort, then only you can have it.
