by Langdan Zhu, Troy High School, Fullerton CA
(Author’s note: This essay was written in 2016 as an entry to the student essay contest sponsored by the National WWII Museum.)
This July my parents accompanied me to the University of California, Berkeley for a math competition. On the last day of our stay, we were walking to the BART station when I saw a street musician singing. Her voice was beautiful. I was drawn to the world she created—embracing, uplifting, with a touch of sadness. But no one else seemed to have noticed it on that busy street. People just walked by without stopping, all in their own worlds. The tip box in front of her was empty.
Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels
“Let’s go—we have to catch our flight home.” Dad’s words dragged me back to reality. We hurried to take the escalator down to the underground level. Just before we were to enter the station gate, I suddenly stopped and turned to them, “Dad, Mom, can I borrow one dollar? I will pay back from my piggy bank once we get home.”
“What for?”
“I want to show my appreciation for her beautiful song.”
“But we are late…”
“Pleeeease! It only takes a minute.”
They looked at each other and finally nodded. With a one-dollar bill in my hand, I rushed back up to the street.
That decision was my small start to overcome indifference.
I believe indifference is the source of much injustice and evil in the world. Professor Elie Wiesel’s remarks on indifference are right on: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it’s indifference…And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death.” I also like another quote of his: “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the
tormented.”
Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, World War II and the Holocaust would not have happened without the widespread indifference among people and nations. As Pastor Martin Niemöller reflected, “first they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist; … Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Now imagine what the world would have become if the USA acted indifferently and did not participate in WWII.
To overcome indifference takes conscience, courage, critical thinking and leadership. More importantly, it takes practice. You have to regularly exercise the “muscle” to overcome indifference. It is hard to do it at the beginning, but it will become easier over time. With practice, acting compassionately becomes a habit and eventually an instinct. It becomes who you are.
Practice means to start speaking up when you see someone bullied at school, even if you are not the target.
It means to do your best to stop anything evil, even if you are not the victim.
It means to contribute to the charities for the causes you believe in.
It means to help others when you can.
It means to cheer for the beauty, the kindness and the humanity you discover in life.
Overcoming indifference starts from today. From me. From one dollar.