Broken windows theory

Imagine yourself walking down an unknown street because Google Maps took you down there promising you an easier route home. Unfortunately, your phone dies in the middle of nowhere and you are stranded. Your stomach growls as always in a stressful situation. You take out a chocolate bar from your bag and munch on it. With the intention to get rid of the wrapper, you look around for a waste bin, but there are none nearby. What will you do?

Then you notice a heap of garbage lying at the corner of the alley. No one is to be seen in the near vicinity. Now you are not a person who litters. Your religious upbringing guarantees that. But in this particular case, would you throw the wrapper in the street? What if you were non-religious?

Broken windows theory suggests that you most probably would litter, irrespective of your belief/disbelief towards a deity.

A Theory of Mischief

The curiously named theory was introduced by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling. In their 1982 article, the authors wrote thus:

“Social psychologists and police officers tend to agree that if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken. This is as true in nice neighborhoods as in rundown ones. Window-breaking does not necessarily occur on a large scale because some areas are inhabited by determined window-breakers whereas others are populated by window-lovers; rather, one unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing. (It has always been fun.)”

The simplicity as well as the implications of the broken windows theory made sociologists and criminologists drop their jaws like they were in a dentist’s chair. They were lost in arguments about how someone’s surroundings influence their actions. The theory subtly captured the essence of the argument.

But I was more interested in the second implication of the theory: How mending windows can deter window breakers. Put simply: how subtle betterment in the surroundings can positively influence the behavior of people.

Yes, it matters

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world” M. K Gandhi

There is an unquestioned dogma that small acts matter to nothing. Our efforts seem Sisyphean and Quixotic, with few to gain and a lot to lose. This fear oftentimes prompts people to escape from their responsibility, quizzing themselves ‘What change can one man bring?’

The broken windows theory is an excellent counterargument to this. In the previous example, imagine if the street was clean and devoid of litter. The theory argues that you won’t throw the wrapper in the street, even if you want to. The well-kept street will bring out your best behavior.

So if someone or some small group puts in the effort to clean the street, no one would try to make it dirty again. Projecting the same on a bigger canvas, we can prevent the atrocities in the world with our small actions.

Think globally act locally

It is time for our society to wake up and work toward the common good. Sure, there are many evils in this world. Racism, nationalism, fanaticism, and so on are tearing our world apart. But our efforts, though small, can restrict them. When we come together, we surely can make a difference.

Simple acts, inspired by love, for the betterment of humanity surely will be beneficial. Broken windows theory teaches us that even small acts like mending a broken window as early as possible, can prevent grave crimes.

Let our actions be small, selfless, and loving. It will influence the world for good.

Thank you for reading. Please post your thoughts as comments.