Humanity's Inherent Goodness Part II
– From Insight to Action
By Micheal Odongo
When I first shared Odongo’s Hunch -- a quiet but enduring belief in the inherent goodness of most people – I was drawing from a lifetime of observation, memory, and quiet encounters with kindness in unexpected places.
That hunch wasn't rooted in idealism but in a lived reality: that even amid struggle, conflict, or division, most people carry within them a desire to do good — or at the very least, to do no harm. But belief alone is not enough.
If we truly hold that humanity is fundamentally good, we must ask: How do we live that belief out loud? How do we move from theory to practice, from conviction to compassion?
This is a reflection on what it looks like to embrace our shared humanity — not as a vague moral posture, but as a deliberate, daily way of being in the world.
Practicing Radical Compassion
If empathy is the ability to feel with another, compassion is the will to act on that feeling.
It turns inner resonance into outward care.
Radical compassion doesn’t seek recognition. It’s the quiet phone call to check in on someone we haven’t heard from. It’s mentoring a young person, even when our calendar says we don’t have the time.
It’s seeing the tired cashier, the struggling student, the frustrated colleague — and choosing grace over indifference.
Compassion affirms: I see you. I hear you. You matter — and I will act accordingly.
Reclaiming Curiosity in Human Relationships
Judgment is easy. It requires no imagination. But curiosity -- especially when someone disappoints or disagrees with us requires humility.
Instead of rushing to label or dismiss someone, what happens when we ask, “What might be going on beneath the surface?” or “What shaped this person’s worldview?”
In moments of tension, curiosity keeps the door open. It helps us remember that every person is more than their worst moment or loudest opinion.
Curiosity doesn’t mean we excuse harm, but it does mean we make space for understanding, and often, healing.
Choosing Generosity of Spirit
To believe in people is to assume the best until shown otherwise. This is not naivety; it’s a disciplined, daily choice to give the benefit of the doubt.
In traffic, in online arguments, in everyday misunderstandings, we can choose generosity. We can pause before reacting. We can ask before accusing. We can offer patience before judgment.
Generosity of spirit doesn’t require wealth. It requires intention. And over time, it creates a culture of trust and safety; one small act at a time.
Building Bridges Through Shared Stories
Nothing connects us faster than a story. Stories humanize. Stories remind us that behind every face is a thread of joy, hope, pain, and longing that echoes our own.
If you’ve ever heard someone’s story and felt something shift inside you, a bias undone, a stereotype dissolved, then you’ve witnessed the power of storytelling to restore humanity.
At Angaza Center, I’ve seen this firsthand: students in rural communities lighting up as they share their dreams, U.S.-based volunteers discovering kinship across continents, digital storytelling breaking barriers that distance once imposed.
To embrace humanity is to create room for stories, especially those that rarely get told.
Practicing Hope as a Discipline
Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s courageous persistence in the face of complexity.
To live Odongo’s Hunch is to resist cynicism even when the headlines tempt us otherwise. It’s to keep showing up.
To keep believing that what we do matters. That light can still enter even the most shadowed places.
Hope says we can build something better together. And when hope is practiced in community, it becomes contagious. It empowers, uplifts, and sustains.
Living the Hunch
Odongo’s Hunch was never just a theory; it’s a way of seeing, believing, and living. It’s a quiet revolution of heart and habit.
So here’s an invitation: this week, try just one of these practices. Offer compassion where it’s least expected. Ask a better question. Assume good intent. Share a story. Choose hope.
I invite you to do this because when we live as though most people are good, we don’t just affirm a belief; we help make it true.
