This was intended to be an entry about thinking small.

Decades ago, I caught a colleague, on his break, picking up trash from the sidewalk. He lived in the neighborhood, walked home and picked up a few pieces of trash on his walk back. I asked him about it, and he said the small effort made him feel better about living there.

Seeing liter all around, made me feel worse about work, so his small action made me feel better as well, probably several more people as well, perhaps hundreds. The more I thought about it, the benefits of small altruistic actions seemed to have a multiplier effect. It has the immediate effect for the actor. It benefits those in the area. It sets positive examples for others who may take advantage of another situation to achieve a small goal which makes things a little better.

I am prone to theories. A former girlfriend complained I had a theory for everything. I fall short of that depiction, but about a week after observing a colleague pick up trash, I theorized. If everyone went out of their way to do two small things a day, the world would be a much better place to live.

It’s not just litter. Consider returning stray a shopping cart while walking to the market. If everyone took a cart from the parking lot, used that cart for their shopping and returned the cart to a proper place after use, the store would spend less on cart management and could lower prices. Okay, someone could lose their job, but the ripple effect of that is unknown and may be the subject of another post. The person’s time might be better spent restocking Kiwi-Strawberry Gatorade, a popular item other people seem to like enough to empty the shelf of them by the time I get there, for example.

If someone is short a dollar or two at the cafeteria checkout line, give it to them. It’s awkward, I know, but it speeds up the line benefiting yourself and everyone behind you. As Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang, “Time, time, time, my brother, time is money,” so the small gesture, multiplied by all the people behind you is a good investment.

So far, all examples of small actions are reparations of other’s short comings or bad behaviors, and this should be addressed, but there are other small actions to consider. I recently read an article on CNN about the loneliness epidemic in America (https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/24/health/lonely-adults-gallup-poll-wellness/index.html).

Today, I started a conversation with someone while waiting in line at the supermarket. Actually, he started things off by gesturing me to take cuts due to my disability. I told him that he should keep his place in line. I suffered a disabling injury years ago, but, as much as possible, I’d like to be treated as if I were not disabled. I am trying to maintain my independence as long as possible. He liked the positive attitude. He told me about some of his friends who turn every setback into reasons not to accomplish things in their lives. It turns out he is a former machinist, but he can no longer work in that profession due to a shoulder injury which is why he could not lift twelve packs of sodas from his shopping cart. His turn to checkout came. He finished his transaction and we wished each other a good day.

I don’t know if the gentleman was lonely, there was only a one in four chance of it, but, at the very least, I encouraged another person to take the time to talk to a stranger, maybe only reinforced it. If everyone engaged strangers, took the time to get know them a little better, we could ease the loneliness epidemic, maybe make loneliness a rare exception. Yeah, there is a dark side to opening ourselves to meeting strangers. We all saw Patch Adams. Still, most people are mostly good; even more fall into the not dangerous category. It’s worth it.

There are other things you could do. I found a list at https://reflectionsfromaredhead.com/make-the-world-a-better-place/. Okay, looking at the list of fifty suggestions, only twelve would count for me. Some of these are more changing your behavior rather than taking advantage of an opportunity to make the world a little better. I also don’t count not doing a harmful thing as a positive action. That is to say, eliminating a negative behavior is desirable, but not really a positive thing. If you know you are doing something wrong, stop it. If someone tells you you are doing something wrong, give it due consideration. We do not always see our own faults.

I also do not count good habits as one of the two things you should do each day. I’m glad you pick up after yourself and your dog, show consideration for others, show gratitude to people even if they are only doing their job and so on. In terms of bettering the world, good habits are static. To make the world a better place, extend yourself beyond good habits to reach out to others or correct bad/negative situations with simple actions.

The article was going to start off with a discussion of big actions versus small actions and go on to discuss solving problems using Ant Colony Optimization Algorithms as a way of offering people guidance on their two things based on local feedback. I was thinking someone who just couldn’t help doing things on a larger scale could set up websites and social media to help coordinate small actions perhaps leading to larger accomplishments. For example, hygiene is a major concern for homeless people. Allowing them into our homes for a quick shower and cleanup may be distasteful, but gathering small contributions for portable showers and toilets and posting availability schedules perhaps offering assistance in watching over their possessions or cleaning up after someone fouled the facilities would be helpful.

I hoped AI would help write this article, or at least a good portion of it, for me allowing for a quick posting. Here’s what happened.

Selection Keywords: two small helpful actions a day, Ant colony optimization, making the world better,

AI Generated Article: In a world filled with big challenges, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and wonder how one person can make a difference. But the truth is, small actions can add up to create a better world. Just like how an ant colony optimizes its collective efforts, we too can contribute to positive change by taking two small helpful actions each day.

These small actions may seem insignificant on their own, but when multiplied by millions of people, they have the power to make a significant impact. Whether it’s recycling our waste, reducing our carbon footprint by using public transportation or carpooling, or simply being kind and compassionate towards others, every action counts.

By consciously making an effort to do these small acts of kindness and sustainability each day, we are actively contributing towards making the world a better place. It’s amazing how such simple gestures can ripple outwards and inspire others to do the same.

For instance, imagine if everyone committed to picking up at least two pieces of litter every day. The streets would be cleaner and more inviting for all. Or consider the impact of smiling at strangers or offering a helping hand whenever possible – these small gestures can brighten someone’s day and create a sense of community.

There are countless examples of individuals who have made significant changes through consistent small actions. Greta Thunberg started with her solitary school strike for climate change awareness which eventually sparked global movements. Similarly, many grassroots organizations have been built upon the foundations of individuals taking small but meaningful steps towards creating positive change in their communities.

So let us remember that while big solutions are important, it is also crucial not to underestimate the power of everyday actions. By committing ourselves to two small helpful actions each day, we become part of a collective effort that has the potential to transform our world for the better – one step at a time.

Results: Sorta like an eighth grade essay with pedantic overtones. It hit on many key points I wanted. It chose piking up litter, talking to strangers and mentioned ant colony optimization, but only to praise ants not as an organizing principle. I also liked the introduction of comparing big versus small. That was unprompted. Although Greata Thunberg deserves and has received great respect, her actions would not count as a small thing to make the world better. She attempted to change government policy, no small feat. I actually pulled off a somewhat successful idio-protest, but that’s another story (put link here in case I write about it).

I tried another AI writing service and generated much less impressive results though I did watch the training video, so I’m not sure I set up the task correctly. At the end, you can ask the AI writer for modifications. I asked, “provide references.”

Response:

I’m sorry for any confusion, but as an AI model developed by OpenAI, I am unable to provide references or use links in my responses. However, the information provided is based on general knowledge and widely accepted practices for promoting kindness and sustainability. For more detailed information or specific studies, I recommend conducting further research using reliable sources such as academic journals, reputable news outlets, and official websites of environmental organizations.

Comment: Thanks AI. AI generated writing is smooth and reads well. My objection is hard to explain.

In high school and college, a friend, a Cal State Long Beach student who rode his bicycle to school and then to part time work at a wine shop. I picked him up in my car; also a cyclist, my car had a bike rack. While waiting for him to get off work, I hung out at the wine shop. The owner took it upon himself to teach me about wine. I decided to specialize on California vintages. He lent me some books. Many of the books ranked wines on technical attributes or rankings, but one book was unabashedly opinionated. It became my guide. Even when I disagreed (he loved Napa Valley wineries and completely missed that Paso Robles vintor Caparone, at the time, pressed their Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley grown grapes), I knew where he stood and could gauge wines I had not yet tasted with fair accuracy.

My AI generated content lacked character, opinion and grit. They are also abent a sense of real life experience. I read somewhere that AI writers have the ability to mimic styles. I hadn’t found that feature yet. I wonder if they have a setting like Don Rickles and Rodney Dangerfield’s love child grew into an articulate research assistant.

I was surprised AI articles produced nothing about downsides to altruistic activities. Correcting the effects of someone else’s bad action (picking up trash) might empower them, and even more people, to continue to litter. There are people who simply consider it someone else’s problem. The more people try to make the world better, the more some people feel justified to make it worse.

AI Experiment Conclusion: Though I feel somewhat happy that flawed human generated content is better than much less flawed, but bland, AI generated content, AI content took a minute while I toiled over this post for hours over the span of three days. My hopes of three or more posts a week have been dashed.