Radical Caring Can Save the World

But a major shift in our mindset is required

Social Darwinism is alive and well

From a young age, we’re taught that the world can be a harsh place and therefore we need to be able to fend for ourselves. The degree to which we can become independent and self-sufficient are seen as forms of success both by our parents and by society at large. Those who don’t obtain independence and self-sufficiency, for whatever reason, are often looked down upon and disparaged.

But where do such notions come from?

The roots may lie in how we evolved, both biologically and socially.

Darwin’s theory of evolution, usually summarized by the phrase “survival of the fittest”, tells us that those organisms that exhibit traits that increase their chances of survival and reproduction will undergo a process of natural selection, in which those favorable traits — resulting from random genetic mutations during fertilization — will slowly become more common among the population over several generations.

When Darwin published his theory of evolution, Herbert Spencer took the theory one step further by formulating what would later be termed “Social Darwinism”. The idea was that natural selection, when applied to humans, could explain why some people were successful and others were not by passing on learned traits from parents to offspring (of course, this was a crucial misinterpretation of Darwin’s theory since Darwin never said learned traits were passed on).

Spencer would use the idea as a way to justify his beliefs on laissez faire capitalism, government deregulation of businesses, and eradicating any welfare laws and policies; essentially, advocating for the superiority of the elite class (who he believed were genetically strong) and the inferiority of the poor (who he believed were genetically weak). In his view, welfare laws simply delayed the extinction of these genetically weak individuals.

In the most extreme form of Social Darwinism, a new “science” of eugenics was created, which would take hold in the UK, US, and most notably, Germany. Interestingly (and horrifically), Hitler was actually inspired by the eugenics movement in the US, especially in California, and he would become the most notorious eugenics proponent by advocating for the purity of the German Aryan “master race” that would lead to the greatest atrocities the world has ever witnessed.

Although Social Darwinism, and certainly eugenics, have been thoroughly discredited and disavowed throughout the world, some of these ideas based on Darwin’s theory of evolution still have a footing in our societal norms as well as in our economic and political systems.

America today draws ever closer to an oligarchical form of government whereby wealthy elites (formerly called aristocrats) decide what policies to implement and how the nation should be governed, functioning as a representative democracy for elites and powerful corporations rather than the average citizen. In fact, according to a Princeton study published back in 2014, “the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.”

This shouldn’t be surprising to most people who follow politics and is a major contributing factor to the rise of populism, both on the right and the left. Although these economic elites may not say they subscribe to the idea of Social Darwinism, their actions and the policies they support show otherwise, and are very much in line with the policies that Spencer supported. Due to their overwhelming influence and power, public policy favors these elites and their businesses while the average American continues to struggle to make ends meet; thus, the divide between the “haves” and “have nots” grows ever deeper.

The common and crude idiom, “it’s a dog-eat-dog world”, aptly describes how our society currently functions, yet it is exactly this fundamental characteristic of our society that must change — and change quickly.

“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.” — Anthony J. D’Angelo

A major shift in mindset

The biggest solution to many of these problems isn’t some brilliant technological fix; it’s simply a change in our mindset that is required.

For all the talk of solving the most pressing issues of our times, whether that be wealth inequality, climate change, etc., we won’t make significant progress unless we grapple with a critical flaw of how our society operates and how we interact with one another. The biggest solution to many of these problems isn’t some brilliant technological fix; it’s simply a change in our mindset that is required.

Of course, I say “simple”, but in reality changing how we think about ourselves and others is a much more difficult task than inventing any technical solution to a problem. In fact, challenging our core beliefs and values is arguably one of the toughest things for us to do.

Everything we watch and listen to starting at childhood influences how we see the world and ourselves within it, which lays the foundation for our beliefs and values. Our societal norms, which can be thought of as a collective set of beliefs and values, were shaped by those who came before us and seem rigid. Yet, we forget how often norms have changed throughout the course of human civilization. And now our norms need to change once again as the crises we face demand it.

The particular norm that needs to be reformed is the one that says rugged individualism is a desirable trait that can be a key to success. The idea that you shouldn’t have to rely on anyone but yourself for help, and as a consequence, no one should rely on you for assistance either.

It is this norm, more than anything else, that is destroying the very fabric of our society and causing utter destruction to the environment. For too long, we’ve been solely focused on the enrichment and protection of ourselves and our families while largely ignoring the suffering and cries for help of others beyond our immediate lineage.

For example, how can we possibly expect to fully address the climate crisis if we don’t listen and try to help all those who are affected? From the nomadic farmers in Mongolia who increasingly have to move to the capital because of extreme weather events that make farming impractical to the natives of the Maldives who find their island nation slowly sinking into the sea, peoples’ ways of life are directly threatened by climate change. Yet, to many of us living in more developed areas that are less prone to such effects, it can seem like a distant and insignificant problem.

Such crises demand that we expand the sphere of things and people that we care about, in what I refer to as radical caring. I use the word “radical” because it’s a radical notion that challenges one of our societal norms, i.e. rugged individualism. It requires us to think beyond ourselves, families, and friends to see all living creatures as one massively complicated family of which we are all a part of and intrinsically interconnected. And because they’re family, we need to treat them like family and offer them the care and support that we would give if one of our own family members needed help, regardless of race, sex, religion, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, or any other self-proclaimed category.

“The most complex, radical climate technologies on earth are the human heart, head, and mind, not a solar panel.” — Paul Hawken¹

Radical caring in action

Radical caring isn’t something that can be learned and implemented overnight, especially in Western culture where rugged individualism and independence are held in high regard, but there are things we can do to begin to shape our societal norms in a way that will improve our ability to better tackle the many problems we face.

In the spirit of the New Year, here are a few resolutions that all of us should consider adding to our lists that put the idea of radical caring into action:

1. Help a stranger in need without expectation of reciprocation
2. Support policies that will improve the quality of life for all people, not just yourself
3. Vote for politicians who also exercise radical caring through their actions and the policies they advocate for
4. Donate to a charity
5. Volunteer at a nonprofit organization that supports a cause you care about
6. Listen to those who you might disagree with and try to find areas where you agree
7. Think about your environmental and societal impact as a consumer
8. Learn and educate others about issues that people are facing beyond your own towns, cities, and countries
9. Consider your career path as a way not just to individual success, but as an avenue for affecting positive change within your sphere of influence and expertise
10. Teach your kids the importance of caring for others and giving back to their community

You may have not noticed it unless you’ve been there, but the picture at the beginning of this story was taken in Berlin at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which was constructed in remembrance of the many Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Although this time period might seem like one of the darkest times in human history, the hands outstretched towards one another (as captured in the picture) are a reminder that we all can come together in times of crisis, take care of one another, and build a better society from the ashes.

As we enter a new decade, let’s hold this lesson of history close to our heart and reenvision Darwin’s theory of evolution, not on the individual level, but for society as a whole; i.e., what societal norms can we pass down to future generations that will ensure our collective survival and continuation as a species.

Let us apply a humanistic approach to how we construct our societies that emphasizes both the worth of the individual and the worth of all others, equally. In doing so, our own self-actualization will be maximized when we focus on the actualization of others through radical caring.

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” — Margaret Mead

References:

1. Paul Hawken. (2021). Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation. Penguin Random House LLC.

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