Source: Despair.com
I would urge you stay away from sarcasm in your public communications, but it’s funny when you’re among friends.And there’s a flash of insight in this poster — people tend to believe their individual actions are of no consequence, and that any behavior that everybody around them is doing is OK.
This is true when we’re trying to motivate them to do something good, too. A major inhibitor to conservation action of any kind is this kind of nagging question right here:
if I’m the only one who does the right thing, what’s the point? One rain barrel doesn’t make a difference. One letter to a Senator doesn’t make a difference. One short shower doesn’t make a difference. My tiny little donation doesn’t make a difference. One less car on the streets doesn’t make a difference.
That’s why phrases like “make a difference,” “working together” and “doing your part” are on the words that work list. They are a reminder that you must be as generous with the encouragement as you are with the facts.
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Good points! Sarcasm can easily be misconstrued as a holier-than-thou attitude. Encouraging and thanking is some of the most motivating behavior we can employ, and it really does work better than guilt. People will more likely change their behavior FOR THE LONG TERM because it feels good and is personally satisfying, rather than because someone guilted them into it.