Amid so much tragedy and conflict – I find this excerpt from the last page of Andy Weir’s popular novel The Martian especially uplifting.
It’s hard sometimes to remember all of the people willing to line up to help when communities keep getting destroyed by natural disasters, lives continue to be lost at the hand of senseless violence, and political arguments divide nations across the globe. I often talk about how blown away I am by humankind’s capacity for kindness and generosity. When you see someone fall, you feel compelled to help them back up. I never forget the small gestures from strangers. From being prayed over late at night in the lobby of a hospital to an elderly woman paying for my bus fare while I frantically dug through my purse for change – These are things that you often don’t forget, that move your heart in the right direction.
As a highly emotional and empathetic person, I am often overwhelmed by these things. I gasp when a friend offers to help me move and rarely read a letter from my grandma without crying (Don’t think for a second that I’m not tough as nails – I’ve got thick skin but a big heart). The way Andy Weir puts it is very easy for me to consume – He has us look at the bigger picture and reminds us that human beings have a “basic instinct to help each other out.”
Yes, there are assholes who just don’t care, but they’re massively outnumbered by the people who do.
The Devil in the White City
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