Have you ever heard of the Broken Windows Theory? I first learned about it when I read a book called "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. Let me give you a little bit of background information that will help me describe what I'm talking about. In the early 1980's, a crime epidemic hit New York City that was the worst in the city's history, and there didn't seem to be an end in sight. One area where it had really gotten out of hand was in the public transportation system, especially the subways; and it was an incident on the subway that brought it national attention. In 1984, a young man named Bernie Goetz stepped onto a subway car, where he was approached by four thugs who demanded money and threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't meet their demands. Goetz put his hand in his pocket, but instead of producing money, he pulled out a revolver and shot all four of them, although I think they all survived. That incident created a national sensation, and it was the final straw that finally convinced city leaders that something had to be done. The gentlemen who were hired to make the subways a safe place again decided to apply the Broken Windows Theory.
An extremely condensed description of that theory is that if there are homes in a neighborhood who have broken windows, and they are left unrepaired, it is then also easier to overlook other problems that need attention, and then criminals will begin to feel that crimes committed there won't receive as much attention from the public or from law enforcement officials. That was the basic condition of the subway system. The cars were in severe need of repair, and the walls, both inside and out, were covered with graffiti. Many of the turnstiles had been purposely gummed up by the bad guys, and it was estimated that there were at least 175,000 passengers per day who were riding without paying the $1.25 fare. Those areas were what they decided to tackle first. They repaired the broken turnstiles and posted security guards at each station to make sure that all passengers paid their fares. They then replaced many of the cars, and repainted and repaired the rest. If someone painted graffiti on one of the cars, it was taken out of service until it could be repainted. What they found out, almost immediately, was that just those small steps that they had taken brought about a drastic reduction in the crime rate, and the additional revenue that came in from all those who had previously been skipping out on their fares paid for the improvements that were made.
That makes me wonder if I could apply the Broken Windows Theory to my own life. What if I dressed just a little bit better for work every day? Would that make me have a little more positive attitude about myself, which would in turn make me a more positive individual overall, resulting in more successes in my business? What if husbands and wives would make a point to hand out just a couple more compliments each day to their spouses? Or what if parents would vow to speak to their kids with a little more positive attitude each day? Or maybe we could make sure we smile and say "good morning" to our co-workers when we first get to work. What if I would resolve to perform just one random act of kindness for a stranger every day? Here's an idea: We could each determine that we're going to think about what we say before we speak, and, at least once a day, instead of speaking our negative thoughts to those around us, we would keep our mouths shut? Just once a day. Would that make a difference?
I may not be able to change the world all by myself, but if I follow those principles that I just mentioned, I can sure make my own little world a much better place to live. I think I may be surprised by how many people will be affected just by the changes I make in myself. It's definitely easier for me to make improvements on myself than it is for me to improve others...but then, when I make myself a better person, it's bound to rub off on someone else...creating a chain reaction. Hey! Maybe we can change the world after all!
Preston
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