Be good to each other

It has occurred to me lately that we are, as a society (of which I am a member), finding it easier to be mean that to be nice, easier to be critical than to be supportive, easier to be against something rather than for something.  Though not limited to our current political vitriol, that highly visible forum seemingly legitimizes the “movement” and in the midst of the vitriol it becomes difficult at best to distinguish debate from ridicule and distinctions from prejudice.

In this I am reminded of this from Dorothy Day: “Let’s build a society where it’s easier for people to be good to each other.”  Looking at it from a technical sense, I don’t really know if it has become harder “for people to be good to each other.”  Part of me wants to believe that in the information age we have just become more aware of those instances where people have not been good to each other, and of course political candidates and the rest of us have only relatively recently been able to electronically hurl insults at a person or an entire group of people.  Regardless of the cause, there is seemingly only one cure – to strive to be good to each other.  This was, I think, the message of Max Ehrmann in his Desiderata:

“Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep pace with your soul.  With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.  Be careful.  Strive to be happy.”  And, I might add, “be good to each other.”