The Family: A Nation in Miniature

 

Today's world is fast-paced and often bewildering, prompting reflections on the role of families. Could the anxieties and fractures of our global reality be a reflection of the dynamics within our family units?

Many agree that the family is a microcosm of society—a small-scale unit contributing to the larger global landscape. If families thrive and flourish, could these intimate circles ripple outward to positively shape the communities around us?  So what defines a truly thriving family? 

Imagine the possibilities when we intentionally bring our best selves into our family relationships. What kind of environment might we create, and how could those changes ripple outward? Let’s explore that further. 

Equality Forged, Families Strengthened

At the heart of resilient family life lies a strong partnership: marriage. More than a legal contract, marriage can blossom into a profound alliance where two individuals actively support each other’s growth while engaging meaningfully with the world around them.

A key principle for thriving families is genuine equality between women and men. When couples embody equality, their connection deepens, and their children internalise this vital lesson through observation and experience. Marital relationships flourish when built on collaboration, managing life’s challenges with open communication and mutual effort.

Rights and responsibilities form the foundation of such families: “Each member must receive the rights they are due and fulfil the responsibilities they owe.” Children raised in equitable partnerships are more likely to advocate for fairness and equal opportunity.  

Nurturing Purposeful Children

Parents are their children’s primary educators, shaping essential values through everyday interactions and meaningful conversations. From these early influences, children learn to recognise their inherent worth, cultivate empathy, develop self-discipline, embrace lifelong learning, discover purpose in service, and aspire to contribute to a better world.

As children grow, parents grant them increasing autonomy while children reciprocate by maintaining respect for their guidance. This organic transition prepares young individuals to navigate their own lives responsibly while preserving family ties.

Families thrive within supportive networks that include extended relatives, cherished friends, compassionate neighbours, and engaged community members. In such settings, elders impart wisdom, peers encourage one another, and adolescents inspire and mentor younger counterparts—creating a rich tapestry of care and connection.  

Facing the Challenges of Modern Life

Families often encounter formidable challenges that can fragment bonds and expose members to harmful influences. Financial strain, the pervasive nature of technology, materialism, and divisiveness—often magnified by social media—can threaten family unity and well-being.  Resilient families confront these challenges with proactive strategies, analysing their impact and upholding core values. This includes thoughtful financial management, mindful media and technology use, and active engagement with social issues.  

Homes: Havens of Community

A welcoming home has the transformative power to become a cornerstone for community-building. Within its sanctuary, family members nurture one another while inviting others to foster positive change.  Through genuine hospitality, meaningful conversations, and purposeful activities, these homes model a way of life rooted in trust and cooperation. As hubs for learning and mutual support, positive ripples spread far beyond their immediate circles.   

Growing Together Through Service

Building enriching relationships requires conscious cultivation. Families that prioritise acts of service bond through shared purpose and direction. This internal strength empowers them to undertake meaningful projects that benefit their communities.

Amid pressing global issues, families are nurturing grounds for individuals imbued with justice, compassion, and a commitment to unity. By fostering homes filled with peace, joy, and a passion for knowledge, families can create the essential foundation for healthier communities and, ultimately, a more harmonious world.

In the final analysis, if we believe that the family unit is the basic building block of community, and beyond, of the entire social order, then to change the world, we need to restore the family first by nurturing and strengthening familial bonds.   It is within the family that the individual is born and nurtured, and within the family that individuals begin to learn how to live together with others.  When families thrive and flourish, they create harmonious homes and radiate positivity into communities, acting as catalysts for societal growth and transformation. As we consciously bring the best versions of ourselves into family relationships, we set the stage for a ripple effect—a movement that begins with the individual, transforms the family, and ultimately contributes to shaping a better, more unified world.

 

Source: Message dated 19 March 2025 by the Universal House of Justice.

 

News vs Reality

 

Hour after hour, day after day, week after week, bad and sad news keep breaking. Is that the reality today? Is there nothing good happening in the world now?

Needing clear answers, I resorted to checking with several machine sources that are way way smarter than I. And here's what they all agreed on… thankfully.

Bad news seems to dominate because there are several psychological, media-related, and societal factors that contribute to this perception. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no good news or progress in the world. Let’s break this down with rationale:

World Events vs. Personal Reality

On a personal level, most people continue to experience moments of joy, connection, and achievement despite global challenges. However, when faced with a flood of global crises, it can feel as though bad events overshadow our daily realities.

Media Bias Toward Negativity

•  Attention Economy:  Bad news tends to capture attention more effectively than good news. Studies in psychology (e.g., the "negativity bias") show that humans are wired to pay more attention to threats and negative information because it was evolutionarily advantageous for survival.
•  Click-Driven Revenue:  Media outlets prioritize stories that generate clicks, shares, and engagement, and negative news often performs better. This creates a feedback loop where algorithms and editors favour doom-and-gloom coverage.
•  "If it bleeds, it leads": This old journalism adage reflects the tendency to highlight dramatic, conflict-driven, or tragic events because they draw more viewers. 

The 24/7 News Cycle

 We now have instant access to adverse events happening anywhere worldwide, creating a constant stream of problems that wouldn't have reached us in earlier eras.   With constant access to news through television, social media, and mobile notifications, we’re bombarded with updates around the clock. This endless stream makes it seem as though bad events are happening more frequently than they actually are.

 Good News Is Underreported

•  Positive developments—be it a scientific breakthrough, acts of kindness, or environmental progress—often don't receive the same level of attention because they’re perceived as less urgent or dramatic. Quiet progress isn’t as “headline-grabbing” as dramatic catastrophes.
•  Less Sensational: Positive developments (e.g., declining global poverty, medical breakthroughs, or diplomatic successes) are often gradual or lack the urgency that makes them "newsworthy."
• No "Emergency" Feeling: For example, the fact that global extreme poverty has fallen from 36% in 1990 to under 9% today (World Bank data) is rarely breaking news, while a sudden economic downturn is.
• Solutions Journalism Exists but Is Niche: Outlets like The Progress Network, Positive News, or sections of BBC Future focus on good news, but they don’t dominate mainstream media.

Cognitive Distortions Amplify the Perception

• Availability Heuristic: We judge how often something happens based on how easily we can recall examples. Since negative news is more memorable, we overestimate its frequency.
• Dunning-Kruger Effect in Global Perception: People who aren’t exposed to data-driven trends (e.g., improving life expectancy, reduced violence) may assume things are worse than they are.

 Reality: The World Is Improving in Many Ways

While serious challenges (climate change, political instability, inequality) exist, many global indicators have improved over decades, many essential aspects of human well-being have been improving:

• Health: Child mortality has plummeted, smallpox was eradicated, and HIV treatment has saved millions. Many diseases have been eradicated or significantly reduced with life expectancy has been increasing globally due to medical innovations.
• Poverty: Over the past few decades, millions of people have been lifted out of extreme poverty
• Violence: Despite conflicts, historically, we live in the least violent era (Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature documents this)
• Technology: Renewable energy adoption, AI-assisted medicine, and global connectivity are accelerating progress.
• Environmental wins: Efforts to conserve biodiversity and combat climate change have achieved notable successes in some areas.
• Access to education has expanded significantly
• and most crucially, the impact on countless lives by increasing number of individuals, social enterprises, NGOs, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations working in all corners of the world for the betterment of the world. 

 Why It Doesn’t Feel That Way

Positive trends tend to be gradual, incremental improvements that don't make for dramatic headlines. A school slowly improving literacy rates over years doesn't generate the same attention as a single violent incident.

• Speed of Bad vs. Good News:  A terrorist attack is instant; solving hunger takes years. The latter doesn’t make headlines daily.
• Social Media Amplification: Platforms thrive on outrage and fear, spreading bad news faster and wider than measured, positive updates.
• Political and Commercial Incentives: Fear sells products (e.g., insurance, security) and drives political engagement (e.g., "vote for me to stop this crisis!").

What We Can Do

• Seek Out Balanced Sources: Follow our World in Data, Future Crunch, or The Happy Broadcast for data-backed positivity.
• Limit Doomscrolling: Consciously reduce exposure to outrage-driven media.
• Recognize the "Hidden" Good: Many breakthroughs (e.g., CRISPR gene editing, renewable energy milestones) happen quietly.

Conclusion - Finding balance

The world simultaneously contains tremendous suffering and remarkable progress. Neither the purely optimistic nor purely pessimistic view captures reality accurately.

What we consume shapes our perception. Following solutions journalism, local community news, or deliberately seeking positive developments can help create a more balanced information diet that reflects the full spectrum of human experience.

There is much hope yet 💕

Now that I know and am feeling much more assured, all that is left for me to do is to continue to focus on being part of the constructive force in the world... 

 

 

 

Food Waste in Malaysia: A Big Problem We Can Solve

 

Raise your temperature, save your energy!

 

Yes, there is science-based evidence supporting the recommended air conditioning temperature range for balancing comfort and energy efficiency in Malaysia's tropical climate. Studies have shown that:

1. Thermal Comfort Models: Research indicates that Malaysians generally find indoor temperatures between 24°C and 27°C comfortable, especially in naturally ventilated or air-conditioned spaces.

2. Energy Efficiency: Increasing the air conditioning temperature by just 1°C can reduce energy consumption by approximately 1-4.9%, depending on the building type and usage patterns. This highlights the importance of setting air conditioners to higher temperatures within the comfort range to save energy.

3. Sustainability: Buildings in Malaysia consume a significant portion of energy for cooling. Optimizing air conditioning setpoints, combined with passive cooling measures like proper insulation and ventilation, can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

These findings emphasise that maintaining air conditioning temperatures in the recommended range not only ensures comfort but also contributes to sustainability and cost savings.

source:
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/7/3614
https://ijie.um.edu.my/index.php/jdbe/article/view/29778