Analysis of "Why We Are Not Acting to Save the World" Article (Essay Example)

In the text “Why We Are Not Acting to Save the World,” Skinner, the author, discusses how our actions are often not in the best interest of the world. Skinner brought up the fact that there has been substantial progress in the areas of science, technology, and engineering. This was one of his main points of argument as he conveyed that more needs to be done to conserve the world and the people in it. I agree with Skinner when he says that changes such as eliminating nuclear weapons and decreasing pollution would be beneficial in more ways than one. Skinner’s overwhelming point he made was that our behaviors as a society right now are the most important for the betterment of the world in the future. In class, we discussed how behavior is our outward decisions and actions. My daily thoughts and actions make up my behavior and my impact on others and globally. Operant conditioning created by Skinner is also associated with the behavioral perspective and it gives an explanation for how voluntary behavior is learned. Skinner utilized these terms a lot in his text as he explained that many behaviors such as littering can be learned and not corrected. If behaviors are not changed or corrected, people become conditioned to believe that they are acceptable. This essentially was the purpose of the document. 

To me, it is alarming that Skinner wrote this in 1982 and yet, not much has been done to change our behaviors as a society. Small actions like reducing pollution and being less wasteful can have a huge impact currently, and years down the road. In my opinion, instead of bettering the future, we have become greedy and ungrateful for the world we live in. We have come so far in terms of technology and research yet many of these advancements are not being utilized for the betterment of society and the world. This is very disappointing to me and I feel like we can do better. Skinner offers the explanation that the lack of shift in behavior is because there is little immediate reinforcement. In class, we discussed that reinforcement is an event that is followed by a response that makes the event more likely to occur again. People are motivated by the results or the rewards. If people aren’t rewarded immediately for their world-benefiting behavior, they are less likely to repeat the behavior. To make a change in the world, will most definitely take time. This is probably why individuals are not acting to save the world. In my opinion, Skinner makes a valid argument. However, unless something major happens, I am doubtful that enough people will change their behaviors to make a large enough impact.