We Need to Convince Them...

it's a good idea; it's good for them; it's the right thing to do; it's in their best interest; it will benefit them; it's a healthy option; it's a great substitute; it's a quality "something."

Here's a radical notion: Rather than having to convince someone that something is a good thing for them when it is not, why not just do something that is good for them?

So much time has been spent convincing people that things that in reality are bad will be good for them. We see it in business. We see it in politics. We see in our every day lives when we try to buy something expensive or healthy. And so often, we're duped.

Imagine if we actually just did what was good for everybody. Or most people. Or, at the very least, the people it will affect the most. The world would look a lot different. Perhaps, instead of arguments over paying your fair share of taxes, we'd be concerned about paying the right amount to do the most good for the nation as a whole. Or, gasp, the world. A radical departure, because it would require a significant number of people to focus on issues outside of their own realities.

I am oversimplifying. But in that regard, it's not a complicated issue. It has nothing to do with politics or religion, or even ideologies. It has to do with human decency. Which, with increasing frequency, we are proving we have little of. If that first thought is, "How will this benefit the most people?" instead of "What will this do for me?" we might be able to move forward a little faster and solve problems a little sooner.

But that would be a monumental shift. A man can hope, though.