Please share some tips of low effort ways to improve the world.
My “tip” - and it is really just common sense - is to be extra nice to people, to compliment them when they barely deserve it, and to touch anyone who isn’t overly gruff on their upper arm, when appropriate.
Not very unusual there in concept but you’d be surprised how happy it seems to make people.
There was a fun book that came out a few years ago by a guy called Danny Wallace, the basic idea was he formed a pseudo-cult entitled “Join Me” (and I skimming over a lot of the details, it’s a very funny book and recommended). Anyway part of it was performing a random act of kindness every day, sometimes extreme.
How do you make the world a better place? Note that charitable donations, voluntary work, and heck, work probably don’t count because they are usually high effort…
Get more sleep.
Recycle.
Buy local, if possible.
Buy your own ingredients, cook your own food.
Exercise.
Find some time each day to do something fun, just for yourself.
Take your grocery cart back to where the fuck it belongs. While you’re at it, offer to take the empty cart back from the lady who’s trying to strap her kid into the car seat.
Hold the door open.
Say thank you to the person at work who empties your garbage can and cleans your office.
Say a few words to clerks who are ringing in your purchases; they’re doing a repetitive job and appreciate the friendship.
Let people merge if they’re coming onto the highway. We are all obligated to share the road.
This was my first thought. If everyone got enough sleep, the world would be a much nicer place.
Give precedence to the world around you over your electronic device. If you are in a busy or crowded place, or on the sidewalk, step aside before you stop to consult your device. Do not stop in the middle of the street, at the top or bottom of the stairs or escalator, or in a doorway to use your device. Do not pay more attention to your device than to the person with whom you are conversing. And it should go without saying, do not use your device while driving, in a movie theater, or at a show or concert.
When I lived in the land of the free, at 12:01 Greenwich time on January 1st, people all around the world got together for a peace consciousness. The idea was if enough people were thinking peace at the same moment it might happen. I am sure this is still done every year. Here in the jungle it doesn’t get much press. I had forgot about this event. I used to attend every year. Next year I will organize something here in the jungle.
I really don’t think it’s good advice to touch strangers. Unless we’re boyfriend and girlfriend (or family), you’re going to end up getting punched.
Shower every day.
Call your mom today.
Never, ever text and drive. Tell your friends to stop texting while driving. If someone calls you while driving (and it isn’t an emergency), tell them to hang up and call back when they’re not driving.
Don’t hock loogies on sidewalks (or anywhere else in public for that matter).
ETA: I just had to say something here about the “touching a person on the upper arm” thing. WTF?
It’s no big deal, you just have to be not compeltely socially inept. I am quite socially inept but not enough I would touch someone who would be uncomfortable with this and also 65% of the time when I am touching someone they are a woman because men are less touchy and also more in tune with my boorishness (which negates the need for the “softly softly” approach). Over all it is a great thing to do if you are reasonably sensible. People like it for connection purposes.
