Thanks to Malcolm Gladwell, most people have heard of the broken windows theory, or the notion that a small, seemingly insignificant sign of decay, disrepair, or apathy can end up having a big impact. A single broken window, if left unfixed, gives people the impression that the neighborhood is in decline, and this changes people's behavior. It can theoretically lead to more "broken windows".

But it's not the broken window that does it. It's the perception that the window creates in peoples' minds.

The state of the windows themselves don't matter so much as the attitude of the people that have to live with them. Every single window in a building could be broken, but if everyone in the neighborhood decided to go about their days as though this wasn't a problem, it would keep things from declining.

If there's a broken window, but someone is brave enough to make a joke about it, or can make light of the issue in a way that communicates to passersby that people still care, maybe the downward spiral can be slowed a little bit.

We live in a world full of broken windows. While it would probably be best if we fixed all of them, maybe the second best option is to stop thinking they matter so much, or to fix the negative impression they leave on people.