By Adeniran Bamisaye
Not long ago, I came across two stories online within minutes of each other. The first was about a young man who returned a large sum of money he had found. The second was about a public figure caught in another controversy.
By the end of the day, I noticed something interesting. The story about integrity had quietly disappeared from people’s conversations, while the controversy had continued to dominate timelines and discussions. That isn’t unusual anymore.
Bad news travels fast. Good news often walks. Perhaps it is because controversy excites our emotions. Perhaps it is because we have become accustomed to expecting the worst. Whatever the reason, we are gradually creating a culture where negativity receives applause while goodness struggles to find a microphone. That should concern all of us.
I am not suggesting that we ignore the problems around us. Our society has real challenges that deserve attention. Corruption should be exposed. Injustice should be confronted. Failure in leadership should never be excused.
But if all we amplify are stories of failure, we begin to paint an incomplete picture of society. We unintentionally convince people that honesty is rare, kindness is weak and excellence is no longer worth pursuing. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Every day, there are teachers who go beyond the classroom to shape lives. There are police officers who serve with integrity, health workers who sacrifice sleep for strangers, entrepreneurs who create jobs despite difficult economic conditions, neighbours who quietly help families in need and young people who choose character over shortcuts. Most of them will never trend. Yet they are the ones quietly holding society together.
I have come to realise that what a society celebrates eventually influences what it produces. When dishonesty appears to receive more attention than integrity, some people begin to wonder whether doing the right thing is still worthwhile. When those who work hard remain unnoticed while those who cut corners become celebrities, we unintentionally send the wrong message to the next generation.
Recognition is more powerful than we sometimes imagine. It tells people, “This is worth repeating.” That is why positive voices matter. A positive voice is not someone who pretends everything is fine. It is someone who chooses to speak hope in difficult moments, fairness in divided conversations and encouragement where others only offer criticism. Such voices do not deny reality; they help improve it.
Unfortunately, we sometimes mistake negativity for wisdom. We assume that constantly pointing out what is wrong makes us more informed or more intelligent. While constructive criticism has its place, endless cynicism rarely builds anything. It drains energy, discourages initiative and leaves people believing that change is impossible.
Hope, on the other hand, inspires action. Think about the people who have influenced your life. Chances are they were not those who constantly reminded you of your weaknesses. They were the ones who saw potential in you, challenged you to become better and encouraged you even when you doubted yourself.
Positive voices do exactly that for society. They remind us that honesty still exists. They prove that compassion is not extinct. They reassure us that ordinary people are still doing extraordinary things without cameras following them around.
Perhaps we also need to redefine what it means to celebrate people. Celebration is not always about awards, ceremonies or headlines. Sometimes it is a sincere compliment. Sometimes it is sharing someone’s good work.
Sometimes it is thanking a colleague whose efforts usually go unnoticed. Sometimes it is telling the story of a young person whose resilience deserves to inspire others. These small acts gradually shape culture.
Imagine a society where stories of integrity received as much attention as scandals, where innovation was celebrated as passionately as controversy and where acts of kindness became just as newsworthy as acts of misconduct.
We may not eliminate society’s problems overnight, but we would certainly encourage more people to become part of the solution. Each of us has a voice. Whether through conversations, social media, our workplaces or our families, we influence what others see, hear and eventually believe. The question is not whether our voices matter. They do.
The real question is whether we are using them to multiply fear or hope, bitterness or encouragement, despair or possibility. The future of any society depends not only on those who solve its problems, but also on those who consistently remind others that goodness is still alive—and worth celebrating.