Does Social Sustainability seem like a complex and ambiguous topic? Social sustainability is simply a mindset and once mastered you can find any manner of ways to implement it in your everyday life. It can be as small as a smile, or larger actions such as helping to establish a communal area or funding a drive to end homelessness.
I did an experiment on my morning walk. I smiled and said good morning to 43 people. 42 smiled and said good morning back and one glared at me and grunted. I returned the glare and grunt with a smile and said “have a good day”.
Helping someone get through a hard day with a smile and good wishes, when life just makes them want to grunt, is part of implementing social sustainability.
Making 42 happy people happier is being part of a friendly society; making 1 person feel supported, accepted, and worthy of kindness, regardless of what type of day they are having, is part of being an inclusive, caring society – both are actions for a sustainable society.
(Photograph Copyright ©2023 Simran Qureshi Pinterest)