To be blunt, 2020 was awful. Let’s refresh and come back to 2021 as better human beings and refrain from making the same mistakes. The Mirador has reached out to various organizations that specialize in human behavior and kindness.

Step 1: Don’t repeat the same mistake and expect a different outcome. That’s insanity.

2020, a year that went down in infamy, included wildfires, police brutality, protests, attacks on federal buildings, and COVID-19. Fortunately, we have organizations that are looking out for us. DecentBeings.org, a Silicon Valley research-based think tank dedicated to the betterment of mankind, has posted the following: “Instead of killing people of color, refrain from it. Don’t be ignorant towards climate change because it will ignite a wildfire. And, try your best to wear a mask during a fatal pandemic.” This information is posted on their website’s front page, right under “Ways to Improve Others.” DecentBeings says this solution took them years to formulate and fact-check. They’ve conducted thousands of trial runs with volunteers attempting each scenario. Unfortunately, DecentBeings says although they have released this information into the world, the concepts are simply too complex. 

Martin Goodfell, the senior morality specialist at the Training Center for Individuals With Corrupt Souls, an organization focused on repairing the unkind souls of those who walk among us, says, “Being a decent human being is harder than one may imagine. You have to treat people nicely, strive for equality, and, if we’re speaking about the pandemic, wear a mask. All challenging tasks.” Goodfell says it’s best to take an aggressive approach when teaching an individual to behave correctly. 

Step 2: Listen to the science.

The first thing to accomplish when attempting to be a better human in 2021 is to trust the science. “It took me a while to realize that scientists aren’t trying to trap us in a torturous nightmare; they’re merely reporting the truth. But, due to some phenomena based in the auditory system, when officials say, wear a mask, people hear the opposite,” Goodfell said. 

The art of science is complicated, so an average individual may have difficulty fully comprehending it, or listening to it.“It used to be that whenever I heard a scientist recommend something, I would do the opposite because I’m pretty educated. I mean, I spend pretty much all day reading social media posts and Reddit,” Goodfell said.  

Step 3: Strive for equality and treat people respectfully.

“As a society, we must examine equitably. I know it’s challenging to treat those different than you with reverence. It’s exhausting when everyone you’re surrounded by thinks the same. You never get the chance to experience new perspectives,” Goodfell said. Here’s an idea that Mikayla Loosener, a human relations professor from the Herver Institute, created: make new friends. If you have the urge to say something racially unacceptable, suppress it, imagine yourself on the other end, it’s called empathy. Most are born with it, but some are sadly not.

However, it is impossible to master the art of being a decent person 100 percent of the time. Everyone has bad days. According to the Center for Understanding Disrespectful Tendencies, “It’s actually a disease. Many don’t know this, but some can be diagnosed with ‘malicious heart syndrome,’ a disease that can consume every respectful part of an individual.” The Center for Understanding Disrespectful Tendencies says if one believes they may have this condition, seek help at Better Beginnings, a therapy treatment center that specializes in behavioral therapy and retraining those with malicious heart syndrome.