The Broken Window Approach

In New York City, a unique philosophy guided efforts to make the city clean, attractive, safe and secure. It was known as "The Broken Window Approach". And it worked!! NYC reduced crime 50% or more and restored that great city to a high level of security, attractiveness, optimism and hope. It started the way it sounds: simply fixing the often small panes of glass that had been shattered. They were not crucial openings, but they gradually lowered people's standards.

The Broken Window Approach (TBWA) is the idea that taking care of small things causes a reaction that affects everybody for the better. TBWA motivates care and concern about the big things and the trickle-down effect curtailed crime, cleaned up outlooks, and changed people. When small problems were fixed, other things changed and everybody benefited.

We want to apply TBWA through Care and Kindness. Small acts, we believe, trigger other small acts, and together they lead to renewed and revolutionized attitudes. When kindness, politeness, generosity, etiquette, in small ways, touches another's life, goodness, virtue, and compassion are generated on a major level. We think the simple acts of care and kindness (SACK) approach can lead to greater intentions toward honesty, integrity, commitment, and every other expression of solid high level virtuous behavior.

John Templeton says: "Life is not made up...of great sacrifices or high level duties, but of little things. The smiles, the kindnesses, the commitments and obligations and responsibilities...given habitually and lovingly, are the blessings that win and preserve the heart and bring comfort to one's self as well as to others." (Templeton 488)

Greet someone. Pause and generate a compliment for the clerk. Mention the nice smile on someone's face. Thank someone thoughtfully.

The Broken Window Approach in action. The world will brighten!

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