Let Us Become More Humane
Dr. Santosh Kumar Mohapatra
We must learn to share our problems. A person who is suffering physically, mentally or emotionally should feel free to tell someone about it. For this, we need to create an atmosphere where people feel safe, respected and comfortable enough to speak without fear of being judged, ridiculed or ignored.
Sadly, our society is becoming increasingly artificial. We may enquire about the health of someone who is hundreds of kilometres away, yet sometimes fail to ask about the person sitting or working in the same building. We send messages on birthdays and festivals, but may remain unaware of the silent struggles of those around us. Technology has increased our connectivity, but it has not necessarily increased our human sensitivity.
Perhaps an even more important lesson concerns our own behaviour towards others.
Not every injury is visible. A physical wound can be seen, treated and gradually healed. Emotional wounds, however, often remain invisible. A harsh word, deliberate humiliation, needless insult, sustained neglect or unfair treatment can deeply affect a person’s mental and even physical well-being.
Of course, there are situations where responsibility demands difficult action. A police officer may have to arrest a criminal. A judge may have to punish a person found guilty. An administrator or an organisation may sometimes have to take an unpleasant decision. Such actions are part of duty and cannot always be avoided.
But outside such necessary responsibilities, we should ask ourselves: Why should our behaviour or decisions unnecessarily hurt another human being?
Sometimes people do not hurt others physically; they hurt them mentally and emotionally.
Sometimes it is deliberate. It may be done to humiliate, isolate, undermine or belittle someone. The person causing the hurt may forget the incident within minutes, but the person on the receiving end may carry its burden for days, months or even much longer.
A sensitive person may spend sleepless nights because of tension, anxiety and overthinking. What appears insignificant to one person may become a heavy emotional burden for another.
And not everyone is hurt by direct scolding or harsh words. Sometimes what hurts even more is the denial of the respect and dignity that a person reasonably deserves. Being ignored, deliberately sidelined, humiliated before others or repeatedly made to feel unwanted can be deeply painful.
Therefore, before speaking, deciding or acting against someone, we should ask ourselves one simple question:
“Is this really necessary, or am I unnecessarily hurting another person?”
This does not mean that we should avoid criticism, disagreement or disciplinary action. Differences are inevitable in personal, professional and organisational life. But disagreement need not become humiliation, and authority need not become cruelty. We can oppose an idea without degrading the person who holds it. We can take difficult decisions without deliberately destroying someone’s dignity.
Life is uncertain and fragile. We do not know who among us will be present tomorrow and who will not. Positions, power, rivalry, ego, prestige and organisational differences are temporary. Human relationships are far more valuable.
We may not always be able to save a life. But we can certainly try not to become a reason for someone’s pain.
