Indifference breeds evilNorman Cousins, an American journalist and professor, once said: “The individual is capable of both great compassion and great indifference. It has every chance of feeding the former and overcoming the latter.” Choices are the essence of life. Many people evaluate the circumstances they encounter in their lives and tend to react in their best interests. When another man needs a hand, most people don't pay attention because it's the easy way out. However, other people will go out of their way to help even if it takes effort on their part and they will be triumphant, knowing they have created a better world. Conversely, those who are indifferent to the plight of others will bring more harm into the world. In conclusion, sometimes a person needs to let go of their indifference to face the truth of what is right. In the following stories we will show how the choices people make affect society for better or worse. We will first explore the colonists who faced a choice during the Revolutionary War. The colonists of America began to rebel against the powerful British Empire for a variety of reasons. John Locke had written of the “social contract” according to which the government can only have authority if it has the consent of the governed. Locke continues and says that if the government abuses the rights of the governed, the people can rebel and overthrow the government. This idea began to germinate in the minds of the colonists when the British government began imposing unreasonable tariffs on them. The Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Acts were all different taxes that the British Parliament imposed on goods and raw materials at a time when the economy was at its lowest. Settlers began…halfway…grow from a widespread pursuit of individual interests,” there is a need for “…cooperative efforts…of many people” (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, S.J. and Meyer 2).The “common good” is something that everyone in society can participate in and enjoy. The problem with the “common good” is that not everyone in society will be motivated towards a goal because people will support their own interests and not towards the goal of the “common good”. If the ideal society of all those working for the “common good” can never become reality, it is a point to reflect on they should reflect on whether their actions will benefit society or cause distress or hardship to others. Our society emphasizes individualism, but we cannot remain indifferent to the shared goals we all have in common Meyer)