I still remember the little girl in my first-grade class who often sucked her thumb. And I can vividly picture my mocking classmates calling her a baby and making her cry. Most of all I recall how helpless I felt, understanding that something was wrong but having no idea what to do.

It’s easy to excuse a six-year-old for failing to confront this group behavior. Since then, I’ve learned that onlookers can speak up—that bullying and ostracism should be condemned. Yet Christian Science has shown me it’s possible to go further, to bring healing to social interactions. 

For most of us, society represents a mix of motives and hopes, opinions and fears. Often undetected, this mental atmosphere appears to guide people’s actions for good or ill. Even on a micro level, such as playground incidents, it can seem beyond individual control.