Everywhere we look, someone is calling for reform. Television debates are full of arguments, social media overflows with opinions, and newspapers are packed with criticism. Yet amid all this noise, one simple question is often avoided: Am I ready to change?
We want the system to change. We want leaders to change. We want society to improve. But when it comes to changing our own habits, mindsets, or behaviour, we hesitate. We justify ourselves and make excuses.
The uncomfortable truth is that society is not separate from us. It is a collective reflection of people like you and me. It is shaped every day by how we speak, act, and treat others. Expecting society to improve while we remain unchanged is a contradiction.
Psychology offers some explanation. Sigmund Freud suggested that people often project their own flaws onto others to avoid self-confrontation. Political philosopher Thomas Hobbes also argued that humans are frequently driven by self-interest rather than moral responsibility.
When our actions do not align with our values, it creates discomfort. Instead of correcting ourselves, we rationalise. We condemn corruption loudly, yet excuse our own "small dishonesty." We talk about justice but stay silent when injustice benefits us. Blaming others feels easier than looking in the mirror.
This is why we notice others' mistakes so quickly. Often, what irritates us most in others reflects weaknesses we struggle with ourselves. Judging becomes a convenient escape from self-reflection.
Social media has intensified this tendency. It offers a platform for outrage with little accountability. Posting opinions feels like action, but most of the time it changes nothing.
Of course, institutions matter. Systems matter. But systems are run by people. When honesty, empathy, and responsibility are absent at the personal level, no structure can function properly. Corruption and injustice do not begin only in offices or parliaments; they begin with everyday choices-when one offers a bribe and another accepts it.
So what can we do?
Real change starts small. In Atomic Habits, James Clear explains that transformation is gradual, built through consistent daily actions. Change becomes real when individuals try to improve themselves, even in small ways, every day.
If we truly want a better world, change must begin within us. Otherwise, our calls for reform will remain loud, repetitive-and empty.
Sabbir Rahman
Student
Dhaka College
