#ConspiracyofGoodness: A Movement That’s Changing our Future

                               Written by Dnyaneshwar Bhoir 

Are you aware of the huge wave of progress underway in the world; one that you are already a part of? Without realizing it, you are changing the dialogue about our world.

The negative dialogue about our times is not keeping up with reality. We’re going to tell you why, point you to some of the thought leaders that will inspire you about our future, and tell you how you can get your friends similarly inspired!

Why the world isn’t a dumpster fire!

Contrary to what your television, radio, and social media are saying, there is a quiet but powerful movement happening around the globe. In the course of our work here at Ever Widening Circles, we’ve discovered something awe-inspiring: for nearly every major problem our world faces today there are people going uncelebrated solving them.

Almost daily we find ourselves excitedly telling our coworker about an inspiring project or are moved to tears by the work of a passionate individual. We are privileged every day to walk into work and shine a spotlight on the people hard at work making our collective future better.

If everything’s so great, why do I feel so much anger and anxiety about the world?

Let’s take a minute to ask ourselves some really important questions: Why do so many of us know the names of mass murderers, and many of Hitler’s monstrous generals, but we do not know the names of the people who hid Anne Frank’s family?

Why is it that we know about awful crime rates and the stories of war but not the numbers that point to progress and the magnificent stories of rebuilding?

The Harvard Professor and psychologist, Steven Pinker, has studied some of the reasons for our feelings of collective overwhelm and pessimism even in the face of such incredible human progress. And he has some incredible points worth remembering:

Via:Freethink 1

Progress has become “normal” and “normal” isn’t newsworthy! Think about the last time you shared a neutral story. It’s hard to get excited about a steady decline in poverty when there is a much catchier story that grabs our attention about a massive health crisis.

What if we were to find a way to celebrate these small wins, and make them awe-inspiring?

You know when you see people acting to make lives or the future brighter for others. When you smile because you notice a random act of kindness. If you are moved to share a video because it fills you with hope and brings you to tears. When you are excited to volunteer or be a part of a movement you care about.

All of those moments point to a movement we’re calling the Conspiracy of GoodnessTM.

The Conspiracy of GoodnessTM is made up of stories both big and small, of courage, ingenuity, and generosity.

This notion of a Conspiracy of Goodness is powerful. To truly appreciate it, we need to appreciate the awe-inspiring history of that phrase.

Recently, we were speaking to a thought leader for an article and they mentioned the phrase Conspiracy of Goodness, and the ground below our feet shifted. Those three words described exactly what our team at Ever Widening Circles had been observing.

So we dug into the origin of that phrase and heard the following story:

During World War II, the community of Le Chambon, France saved 3,500 Jews (many of them orphaned children) from the Nazis. Without any formal organization and at great risk to their own lives, the villagers managed to conceal thousands of strangers for several years. In fact, there were countless rescuers like this all over Europe during the war.

Decades later, in 1987, a Rabbi was giving a talk about that chapter in history and recounted, “Once, when I was speaking of the ‘conspiracy of evil’ in WWII: a Dutch rescuer asked me why I never spoke of the ‘conspiracy of goodness.’ The rescuer went on to add, “Do you think I could have hidden Jewish families in my home without the active cooperation of the mailman, milkman, and the neighbors? For every one person saved, there were seven who rescued. There was a conspiracy of goodness.” 2

“It takes the energy of a community to bring about the most important change.”

We can change our shared future if we are all part of a wave to celebrate and point to the Conspiracy of GoodnessTMthat is all around us!

What if we were to make the people and organization moving us steadily towards progress “newsworthy”? What could happen if we were to recognize when we were excited or moved by the actions of others and took time to thank them, recognize them, and share their stories?

We have the choice of what we give our attention to! 

This is our 1,000th article to publish on Ever Widening Circles. That’s a win for everyone because 5 years ago we set out to write exclusively about all the insight and innovation getting lost in the chaos of the web and we never ran out of material!

We’ve learned first hand that there are people across the globe, very often working in obscurity, not for fame or glory, to make the world a better place.

And we’ve noticed something. For ourselves and our readers, knowing about these individuals acting in the Conspiracy of Goodness makes ushappier, less stressed, and more likely to see the world for how it really is: in a state of progress.

Stay happy and support us,

-Dnyaneshwar Bhoir