Heard a guy at the hardware store say 'one person can't make a difference' about recycling

It made me think about how that attitude is exactly why we're stuck. Has anyone else had a conversation like that recently?

3 comments

3 Comments

graygonzalez5d ago

That mindset is a total dead end. I always ask people like that if they'd still throw trash on a clean sidewalk just because one piece won't ruin it. It's the same idea. Your one bag of recycling joins everyone else's, and that's how the system works. Letting perfect results stop you from even trying is how nothing gets better. It's just an excuse to do nothing.

olivia_rivera881d ago

My friend's neighbor said the same thing about voting last year, that her one vote in a big state wouldn't matter. She almost didn't go. But she did, and she found out later her precinct was decided by like, twelve votes. It totally changed how she talks about this stuff now. She tells everyone that line of thinking is a trap, because if everyone who felt small stayed home, nothing would ever move. It's the exact same with recycling, you have to be part of the pile or the pile doesn't exist.

sarah5315d ago

Yeah, that "letting perfect results stop you" line from @graygonzalez is spot on. I read a thing about how all big systems, like recycling or voting, are literally built from small individual actions. Saying your one thing doesn't count is just opting out of the whole project.