When it comes to living together artfully, it’s true that to know someone will not suffice. It’s necessary, it’s valuable but it’s not sufficient.

Misinformation and misconceptions are harmful to our community, to all of us. We must make every effort possible to get rid of them, by becoming informed about each other.

And then we need to practice the art of living together. I firmly believe that friendly encounters and personal interactions are important and rewarding. Other people can refresh us with their ideas, feelings and motivations.

In order to become artists of living together, we need to take a step further and go beyond a few limited interactions. Some encounters might involve only a few people, like family visits. Others might involve more people, like business transactions.

What we do is not going to change the world overnight. The good news is, that’s not the point. If it were the point, we would have every reason to get discouraged. But we’re all in the safe hands of God Almighty. Thankfully, God didn’t put on our shoulders the burden of accomplishing what is beyond our reach.

“God burdens no soul except within its capacity..” (Qur’an, 2/286).

We each are responsible for establishing an island of peace around ourselves. When the number of these islands increases, mutual respect and peaceful co-existence will prevail. That might sound like a meaningless utopia. Is it? I don’t think so.

I want to share this beautiful story:

When the prophet Abraham was about to be thrown into a huge fire, he saw an ant, carrying a drop of water. He asked it, “What are you doing?” The ant said, “I’m carrying water to help Abraham.” Abraham replied, “Considering this huge fire, what you are carrying is useless.” The ant’s answer was full of wisdom: “I know this might be of no help, but at least I’m showing what side I’m on.”

The art of living together is about strengthening our relationships to build a better community. It’s about opening doors and bridging the gaps between us. It’s a very noble act.

The art of living together takes determination and willingness. It’s hard to leave our comfort zones. It takes courage to reach out, and not be overwhelmed by fear of the unknown.

Technological advances in communication and transportation have created this global village we live in. Any event in one part of the world affects people in other parts of the world. The 9/11 attacks caused a worldwide economic recession, among other things. Bombings in Istanbul caused heightened security measures in California. Hurricanes and earthquakes are felt all over the world.

Globalization means we’re all partners. Famine, poverty, illegal drugs, terrorism and, most importantly, the erosion of moral values are problems all of us face. It’s impossible for one community to work out these problems by itself, without a global partnership.

We can’t afford to ignore or alienate each other. We have to be determined to practice the art of living together, in mutual understanding and respect.

Mevlut Tascan is an instructor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University.