I was walking down the street when I saw someone take a cigarette pack wrapper and throw it on the ground. I walked up to them and, without saying anything, picked it up and threw it in the waste bin.

On another occasion, I saw a guy being extremely aggressive with his girlfriend. I walked over to make sure she was okay and calm the situation before it got out of hand. Would you do the same?

When does something happening around you become your responsibility? Is it when you see a child being mistreated, or someone being attacked or harmed by someone else?

In today's society, there is a lack of social responsibility. Some might say that it does not exit at all.

I feel like there are intrinsic values that should hold throughout any culture or location.

Social responsibility can be even more individualized. Things such as speeding, parking in unauthorized areas, or even not challenging outdated rules and ideas are all part of ignoring the idea of protecting society as a whole.

If everyone thinks that the next person will do something about it, nothing will ever happen.

A 2016 article in The Express Tribune dispels the belief that lack of social responsibility is based on education or income.

"The fact is that a sense of social responsibility is missing from all levels of our society regardless of social class, and unless this apathetic attitude is fixed and a spirit of social responsibility is engendered in society, such incidents will continue to be repeated," it said.

To become more sensitive to social responsibility, ask yourself what would happen if everyone practiced social responsibility. What would I need to change in myself to be more socially responsible? How do I motivate others to do the same?

If we start thinking this way, we can start to make a difference.

If you were being beaten up or hurt, would you want someone to help you?

If your answer is yes, then you should do the same if you see this happening to someone else.

If you don't like littering, when you see someone throw trash on the ground, say something or pick it up and throw it away yourself.

We can all do a little more to make our world a better place.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.