Well, what if everyone did?

This phrase is usually said when you want to convince someone of stopping doing something you think is not good.

I would like to turn that around today and give it a spin.

Picking up garbage from the street and putting it in a trash can?
If everyone did that…!

The easy and comfortable excuse, of course is close at hand: “who does that?!”

Yeah, sure. Everybody pays their taxes and part of those are for the sanitation department. I do too. So?

I repeat my question: what if everyone picked up a piece of trash on the side walk every once in a while? Like a carton of a beverage that someone tossed, for example.

Not only would the streets suddenly be a lot cleaner, but there would be more awareness that littering sucks and voila: nobody needs to bend down for trash any more.

A different example that I like thinking about regularly: not using the car.

Yeah, I know. What could you little, insignificant, small person possibly contribute to global carbon dioxide emission?

Nothing of course. So, just keep making every trip with your car, no matter how small it might be. After all it is very economical and satisfies all emission standards those honorable and honest manufacturers obligate themselves to comply.

And where we would end up if everybody just left their car standing? Just imagine!

Emptier and safer streets are a utopia anyway, not to speak of cleaner as I said above. So why bother and try to get cleaner air?

You’d rather accept rage and anger over the other drivers during rush hour or looking for a parking space in an over crowded city. Getting a parking ticket is part of the shopping experience.

Also: what if everyone did that?!

Those poor car manufacturers. The poor automobile industry and all those jobs!

Should all these people start building bicycles?

No, you stay comfortably with what you know and relax with your habits, with what you’re used to, your excessive luxury that has long transformed into a necessity for you to which you wouldn’t admit.

Without meat, without car, without pineapple, without … why should you go without these things? It’s there, so you might as well…

Go without meat? Or at least one day a week? Who are they to tell you what to do? Who are they to patronize you?

And then there are those obnoxious, annoying people who talk down on you and show that it can be done. Feeling all exemplary. Sure they do!

They’re not under the same constraints and obligations you’re under!

They’re not forced to drive their kids to school every day or have a bad back or they just don’t have a job or any obligations for that matter they have to commute to every day… you name it.

You got your reasons for your lazin- … for your constraints.
And besides: you earned it! Poor little you.

When finally present you with reasonable alternatives, you’ll be on board but why should you make a step in that direction.

Nobody does anyway!