YOU THINK IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOU, BUT IT DOES

 

In every society, there exists a silent epidemic, not of disease, but of detachment. It is the plague of indifference, the delusion of distance, the comfortable notion that "it's not my problem." Many individuals walk through life insulated in personal pursuits, turning blind eyes and deaf ears to systemic issues that shape the very air they breathe. They assume that because a fire burns in a neighbour’s house, their roof is safe. But history and reality beg to differ.

THE FALSE COMFORT OF DISTANCE 

Whether it’s political instability, rising insecurity, economic mismanagement, poor infrastructure, educational decay, youth delinquency, or environmental degradation, there is a dangerous assumption that these issues belong to "others." Some say, “I don’t live in that area,” or “It doesn’t affect my children,” or “I'm not in that income bracket.” This mindset allows societal ills to flourish in the shadows of perceived irrelevance.

But like unattended weeds, these issues grow quietly, pervasively, until they overrun entire systems. Today’s unchecked social problem is tomorrow’s national crisis. A dilapidated school system produces unskilled youth who become a strain on the workforce. Insecurity in one district spreads to another. Corruption in government ripples into inflation that affects your grocery bills, your electricity costs, and your children's job prospects.

THE COST OF SILENCE AND INACTION 

Every time an educated adult ignores electoral fraud because “politics is dirty,” or a middle-class citizen dismisses police brutality as “a poor man’s problem,” or a professional shrugs at a collapsed healthcare system because they can “afford private hospitals,” the rot deepens. These issues are interconnected. Injustice anywhere, as Martin Luther King Jr. so rightly noted, is a threat to justice everywhere.

By choosing apathy, you indirectly endorse systems that oppress, exclude, or exploit others and sooner or later, the same broken system you once ignored will come knocking, perhaps in the form of increased taxes, civil unrest, or limitations on your freedom.

SOCIETY IS A SHARED SPACE 

Living in a society means you're part of a shared ecosystem. You don’t need to be directly targeted by injustice for it to affect you. Societal challenges don’t discriminate for long. Economic downturns don’t stop at gated estates. An unstable society puts everyone at risk, regardless of class, tribe, or profession. Crime, ignorance, corruption, and failed leadership have ripple effects.

We must understand that civic disengagement is not neutrality, it is a vote for the status quo. Every unchallenged injustice, every ignored crisis, every unexplored policy failure festers because of collective inaction.

REFRAMING RESPONSIBILITY 

You don’t have to be an activist to advocate for better governance. You don’t need to be a victim to speak up for justice. You don’t need to wait until you’re affected before you act. Whether you are a student, teacher, entrepreneur, artist, parent, or clergy; your voice, values, and vote matter. Civic responsibility isn't seasonal; it's an everyday posture.

Change begins when ordinary people say, “This may not affect me directly today, but it matters.” This mindset is what shapes better policies, stronger communities, and lasting legacies.

CONCLUSION 

You think it doesn’t affect you, but it does. Society is not a buffet where you only pick what pleases you. It’s an ecosystem where what you ignore today could very well define your tomorrow. In the end, we are all stakeholders, whether by our action or by our silence. The question is: Which one will you choose to be remembered for?

When flames arise beyond your gate, you turn your head away,

Assuming that your peace is safe, your comfort here to stay,

But little sparks in distant lands can soon ignite unrest,

And suddenly the storm you dodged is knocking as a guest.

You scroll past cries for equity, convinced it’s not your fight,

Yet justice dimmed for one today may steal your own daylight,

Silence may feel like safety now, detached from all the fuss,

But rights ignored in someone else will soon come after us.

You laugh at failing schools nearby, “My child is doing fine,”

But futures form in classrooms where potential’s forced to pine,

Tomorrow's workforce rises weak where today’s neglect is strong,

And talent lost to apathy makes industries go wrong.

You shrug at systems built on greed, because you bear no scars,

But stolen dreams and broken trust reach far beyond their bars,

For every fraud left unopposed, corruption seeds its throne,

And currencies of dignity collapse beneath its stone.

So build the bridge, extend the hand, engage with purposeful care,

For every issue kept at bay is still a load we share,

A nation thrives when hearts unite, not when we watch aloof,

You think it doesn’t touch your life, but you'll soon be the proof!