The irony of talking trash

How you respond when your instincts are challenged

Lakshmi Iyer

Lakshmi talks about the trash she painstakingly collected from fellow travelers on a long train journey. She speaks about the anger with which she schooled those fellow passengers to not throw trash out the window. Watch the twist that makes Lakshmi feel foolish for acting "holier than thou."

Something to think about

  1. How did Lakshmi's story resonate with you? Can you recollect an experience where you thought you were making a huge difference and realized that in the end, your efforts were somewhat futile?
  2. Maya Angelou says: "At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel." How might that work in a change-making context?
  3. Lakshmi concludes that making an effort to change individual behavior is worth it even if larger forces might come in and void the effects of those actions. Do you agree? Should you focus your efforts on the individual or higher-level factors; can you do both at once?
The irony of talking trash

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