Opinion: Can the efforts of individuals change society for the better?

I feel strongly that efforts of individuals can change society for the better. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Henry Ford and Steve Jobs, for example, were at first all individuals who were inspired to improve major issues such as social problems, industrial development, and the elimination of racial discrimination. Even if we don't have great ability to communicate like them to change millions of people, I believe that it will be up to the efforts of individuals to overcome the great barriers of society in the long run.

In fact, history provides many examples of single individuals who have brought about important changes. Fukuzawa Yukichi, the author of An Encouragement of Learning, contributed to education and enlightenment during the Meiji era. He said, "If you want to reform the world, it is more effective to set a good example than to direct." This is true even today. Rather than being verbally scolded in workplace, for example, we will voluntarily try to change if we have an good example in front of us. Whether in business or in environmental protection, it is effective to put before people a good example they will want to imitate.

Next, global issues such as environmental pollution and climate change require all individual consumers to work together as one. If they have skin in the game and take account that the issue is for everyone's future, society will move in the right direction. 

And finally, thanks to the development of social networking sites, people can quickly be informed about efforts of others. For example, in 2020, in the United Kingdom, where the spread of the new coronavirus continues, a 99-year-old former military man started a fundraising campaign with a challenge to walk endlessly around his garden using a walker, and he raised over 48 million pounds (647 million yen). This shows that individual efforts can spread quickly and people are willing to cooperate with activities that tear at their heartstrings.

For these reasons, individuals with vision, passion, motivation and imagination are able to get other people to change in positive ways.