If the Earth's Population Shrunk to the size of a
Village If Earth's population was shrunk into
a village of just 100 people --- with
all the human ratios existing in the
world still remaining --- what would
this tiny, diverse village look like?
That's exactly what Philip M. Harter,
a medical doctor at the Stanford
University School of Medicine, attempted
to figure out. This is what he found
57 would be Asian
21 would be European
14 would be from the Western Hemisphere
8 would be African
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be nonwhite
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59 percent of
the entire world's wealth, and all 6
would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death
1 would be pregnant
1 would have a college education
1 would own a computer
The following is an anonymous interpretation:
Think of it this way. If you live in
a good home, have plenty to eat and can
read, you are a member of a very select
group. And if you have a good house,
food, can read and have a computer, you
are among the very elite.
If you woke up this morning with more
health than illness ... you are more
fortunate than the million who will
not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger
of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture, or the pangs of
starvation ... you are ahead of 500 million
people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without
fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or
death...you are fortunate, more than three
billion people in the world can't.
If you have food in the refrigerator,
clothes on your back, a roof overhead and
a place to sleep ... you are richer than
75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your
wallet, and spare change in a dish
someplace...you are among the top 8% of
the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and
still married ... you are very rare,
even in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile
on your face and are truly thankful ...
you are blessed because the majority can,
but most do not.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them
or even touch them on the shoulder you
are blessed because you can offer healing
touch.
If you can read this message, you just
received a double blessing in that someone
was thinking of you, and furthermore, you
are more blessed than over two billion people
in the world that cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings,
and pass this along to remind everyone
else how blessed we all are.
