We See What We Look For

In my sophomore year of college, I began working on the custodial crew. I learned a valuable lesson.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

In my sophomore year of college, I began working on the custodial crew. After mopping hallways, emptying classroom trashcans and scrubbing scuff marks off majestic lobby pillars, something remarkable happened. I received a new set of eyes. 

Not only did I see the old things in a new light. I saw parts of campus I’d literally never seen before, even though I walked by them every day. Who knew there was blue trim riding the bottom of all the walls that needed to be dusted? Had anyone ever noticed those dorm columns collecting mountains of bird droppings? And all the closets filled with cleaning supplies — had their doors been invisible before? 

Pretty soon, my new vision didn’t vanish after work shifts. I couldn’t help but spot glass door hand prints and water-fountain-rings, whether I was working or not.

I’ve always been thankful for that job. In addition to the fun perks (like speeding past book-laden students on golf carts, scaling tall ladders and looking tough while wielding the occasional screw driver), I learned a valuable lesson: We see what we’re trained to look for. 

Our Pastime of Complaining

Our society is trained to look for things to complain about. Whether you’re a Democrat wailing about Trump’s America or a Republican griping about liberal snowflakes, it’s easy to hone in on the problems. It’s almost as if we view our state of affairs as catastrophic. All the time. No matter what.

Last week, a real catastrophe paused this pastime. Harvey was a natural disaster no one could ignore. Local and national media outlets worked tirelessly to bring harrowing images, videos and stories to our distant screens.

Because the national spotlight was stuck (and rightly so) on the record breaking storm that hovered over southeast Texas, we couldn’t avoid the stories of heroism. And despite the tragic nature of the storm, didn’t that feel good? To see so many anecdotes of neighbor helping neighbor? So many instances where all that mattered was shared humanity? 

If only such heroes could hold our attention for more than a few days. But that’s not who we are as a culture. 

Floodwaters had barely started to recede when the joint spirit of compassion, inspiration and neighborliness receded as well. Not in the affected areas — no, they’ll be helping each other for a long time — but in the rest of the world that didn’t feel one drop of Harvey’s torrent. People who temporarily shed their boxing gloves hungrily drew them back on.

Looking for the Good

But we don’t have to return to our old ways. We can fight the primal instinct to pummel our ideological opponents and harp on what’s wrong with society. How? By training our eyes to look for the good.

Yes, tragedies like Harvey usually cause a spike in human goodness and heroism. But good people doing good things exist all around us, at all times. So do heroes — who are often forgotten until something big like Harvey happens. 

It’s important to fight evil. But we can’t lose perspective. We shouldn’t think, talk or act as if everything is all bad all the time. After all, if we live as if goodness has disappeared, then what are we still fighting for? 

Good things aren’t always big or flashy. Like the cashier who always smiles while handing you your morning coffee. Or the birthday card grandma sends you every year, whether or not you respond with a thank-you note. Or the quiet work of the local homeless shelter. Or the crew of volunteer firefighters whose selfless sirens blend in with the background noise in your town. When was the last time you stopped to really think about and appreciate these good things?

Working on the college custodial crew changed my perspective. Once I trained to look for messes around campus, I couldn’t help but spot them. So let’s train ourselves to look for the good in the world. For people helping other people. Heroes sacrificing themselves for their neighbor. The bonds that unify us rather than the opinions that divide us.

Before long, we’ll see the goodness everywhere. We won’t be able to help it.