From Climate to Gaza: How Greta Makes Us Care When It’s Easier Not To
By Nancy Nuñez and Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch
In June 2025, Greta Thunberg joined the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza — a group of international human rights activists trying to bring supplies and attention to people stuck under the blockade. Even though the flotilla was stopped by Israeli forces, what mattered most to Greta was the message: the people on board were safe because they had the privilege of being seen.
She wrote: “The crew carry not only the privilege of their passports, but also the privilege of holding the world’s attention — which well over 62,000 Palestinians killed over the last 20 months of genocide have failed to capture.”
In other words: some suffering makes headlines, and some doesn’t. It’s not always about who’s hurting — but who the world chooses to notice.
Greta’s post didn’t just call out injustice. It made people feel something — about loss, about who gets seen, and about the huge gap between who gets help and who gets ignored. This is a clear example of what psychologists call the singularity effect: we care more when a crisis has a name, a face, or a single story we can connect with.
It also pushes back against something many of us experience without realizing it: psychic numbing — when our emotions shut down because the suffering is portrayed through emotionless statistics, feels too big, too far away, or just nonstop.
Greta has been fighting this kind of numbness for years:
When she sailed across the Atlantic instead of flying to the UN Climate Summit, she made the climate crisis personal — showing the real cost of our choices and that change is possible.
When she started the Fridays for Future school strikes, she was just one girl sitting alone outside the Swedish parliament. That image sparked millions of young people around the world to join her.
And when she stood at the UN and said “How dare you?” — she wasn’t throwing more facts at people. She was demanding that they feel something. Her emotional speech cut through the noise and the numbing.
It’s easy to think people just don’t care. But the truth is, it’s hard to care — especially when the problems feel too big or never-ending. Greta Thunberg’s activism shows us how compassion really works — and what often gets in the way.
Here are four simple but powerful lessons from what she’s done:
1. Share stories, not just stats
When Greta tells a story — whether it’s about crossing an ocean or joining a boat to Gaza — people listen. It’s not about numbers. It’s about human connection. Stories help us care when problems feel overwhelming.
2. Make the invisible visible
The news doesn’t always show us every crisis. Greta uses her platform to shine a light on suffering that’s often ignored — reminding us that the people we don’t see still matter.
3. Let emotion lead and reason follow
Her speeches aren’t just smart — they’re emotional. And that’s a good thing. People are moved more by feeling than by facts. Greta uses that emotional power to wake people up and inspire action that will then be bolstered by reason.
4. Show what action looks like
Greta doesn’t stop at caring — she shows people how to act. From school strikes to protests to global causes, she gives others a way to get involved. And taking action is the best way to fight feeling hopeless.
Taking Action: how can you help
Greta uses her actions to cut through numbness and make people pay attention. Feeling something is just the first step. If Greta’s story moves you, here are some simple ways to turn that feeling into action:
1. Support groups helping people in crisis
Groups like the Direct Relief work directly with communities facing disasters, displacement, or conflict. Your time or donations can help get aid where it’s needed and give a voice to those often ignored.
2. Join or organize local actions
Whether it’s a climate strike, a vigil, or writing letters, local actions make a difference. Check out groups like Fridays for Future or Amnesty International.
3. Talk about it
Change often starts with conversation. Don’t underestimate how powerful it is to talk with friends, family, or classmates about what you’ve learned — and why it matters.