What drives you to make a difference in the world?

[Mallignamius]

I've seen some people do some nasty, terrifying things. Things that have kept me up at night. I've seen people do some beautiful, wondrous things. Things that change lives.

Of course some people care. I frequently wonder what the ratio is. I suppose I'm doing a bit of soul-searching. I suppose that's why I'm going into science; to try to make a difference in the world.

Admittedly, I'm a bit intimidated here. At least I'm reading your posts more than writing. But as I continue to discipline myself, I expect that somehow, I'll be at the level I need and want. College this fall, preparation courses for now. I'm eager to get going.

---

What has been your motive for your career, your studies? How much of an influence do you want to have in the world?

How do you respond to the monsters and jerks of the world? Where do you find your strength and discipline? Your energy?

Do you believe our world will eventually 'mature'?

 

[light_bulb]

i think the people who haven't lost hope or had their dreams stomped to the ground care. everyone else can jump off a cliff, they are the people that make life feel ******. live and let live, don't hate on me because that's all you know.

/end rant

my motives for studying has been to prove to myself that i can accomplish my goals, i never had a backup plan because it's always been EE or bust, even if it takes 10 years to finish. if you don't have your dreams then what's the point right, might as well do whatever.

monsters and jerks get cutoff, lead astray and shook.

the strength is built in. my discipline and energy go hand and hand, i have a ways to go but once I'm done rebuilding my body my discipline and energy will improve.

will the world eventually mature? we'll see how this thread goes first :P

about your question do people care, well i'll steal a phrase from a song "i got no love for no love", everyone else is a-ok with me.

 

[devil-fire]

everyone else can jump off a cliff, they are the people that make life feel ******. live and let live, don't hate on me because that's all you know.

the haters need lovin too you know = P


what do you mean by "do people care?"? are you asking if people are empathetic and try to be good, selfless people? that is a rare breed in my experience. i have found that people are vary often in the gray area.

some people are vary empathetic and selfish people and feel bad for it, others are lacking in empathy and selfless people but feel bad for it.

i think everyone tries to feel satisfied with their lot in life and this is different for each person you ask. some people feel guilty for stepping on people so they don't do it, others are punished for stepping on people so they don't do it. I am finding that people's actions make a lot more sense when i try to keep in mind they are doing things for a reason, even if i would do things much differently.


as for the pursuit of academics or 'truth', i have concluded for now that i don't get any gratification from these, so i don't pursue them vary far when they are taxing on other elements of my life.

 

[franznietzsche]

I certainly don't care.

Now, what are you talking about?

 

[Smurf]

who cares!

 

[Mallignamius]

When I ask about caring, I know it's a bit vague. Think empathy and impetus to act, to help those in need.

But try to focus more on the last set of questions in the post. I think that will answer my topic question.

If you want examples, light_bulb's and devil-fire's replies are helpful.

Thanks.

 

[Smurf]

heh, you must be new here.

 

[Smurf]

ok, seriously? I try not to care. Not caring is the only reason why democracy works the little bit as well that it does. Caring is for interest groups and feminists.

 

[Smurf]

What has been your motive for your career, your studies? How much of an influence do you want to have in the world?

Necessity.

How do you respond to the monsters and jerks of the world?

No such thing. That's one thing I've learned from philosophy, everyone thinks he's the good-guy. Even if he calls himself the bad guy, that's just his name for 'good-guy'.

Where do you find your strength and discipline? Your energy?

I surround myself with people that already have strength and discipline. As a rule, individuals tend to act how their expected to act (I guess that's a bit ambiguous, people act how they perceive other people perceiving how their expected to act). So I make sure the expectations of me are Life-Affirming. Makes it easier. Pushes it further into that 'necessity' category.

Do you believe our world will eventually 'mature'?

I know what you mean by mature. Remember, we've been at this 'humanity' thing for a really long time. What exactly do you think we're aiming at?

--

You know a lot of these questions are really ambiguous.

 

[Mallignamius]

heh, you must be new here.

Join Date: 07-04-2006

Though, I've been a lurker much longer.

 

[Mallignamius]

I know what you mean by mature. Remember, we've been at this 'humanity' thing for a really long time. What exactly do you think we're aiming at?

I suppose I should expand on that. I am hoping that one day at least 99% of our population will be mature.

 

[Smurf]

great, now define what a mature individual is.

 

[Mallignamius]

Species-wide maturity. When people are behaving themselves, crime is history, war is unnecessary, we're eating what is best for our bodies, learned what the best life is and pursue it... When we've developed and come to an agreement about a model to perfect our lives, or pursue that perfection (or best life), whatever that would be.

Do you believe we (99% at least) will ever be so mature, so focused on understanding what's best for us and actively pursuing it?

Well, that addresses the last question in my first post.

 

[Smurf]

well, too expand on what I said above. Everyone is already completely focused on what's best for them, and for us. The problem is that we don't know what that is.

And I think we never will know exactly what's best for us; the act of observing disturbs the observed.

(in other words, what's best for us evolves with us, it's easy to know what was best for us 100 years ago, but that was 100 years ago, we were a different people back then. As it will always be.)

 

[pivoxa15]

Do you believe our world will eventually 'mature'?

I believe a person will become more mature as he/she ages and hence view the world differently and get the impression that it's also maturing.

But on another level, when people write books and contribute to knowledge and the coming generation learn from them and build on that knowledge than from generation to generation, people who learn will become better educated hence more mature in that sense.

 

[radou]

Caring is for interest groups and feminists.

That's the spirit!

Species-wide maturity. When people are behaving themselves, crime is history, war is unnecessary, we're eating what is best for our bodies, learned what the best life is and pursue it... When we've developed and come to an agreement about a model to perfect our lives, or pursue that perfection (or best life), whatever that would be.

Do you believe we (99% at least) will ever be so mature, so focused on understanding what's best for us and actively pursuing it?

100% pure utopia.

 

[Astronuc]

Do people care? Do you?

Yes, and yes.

What has been your motive for your career, your studies? How much of an influence do you want to have in the world?

Curiosity about the world around me. I have considerable influence in the world - I just prefer to do it quietly and relatively anomously. Then, I am not the only one - no one acts alone - one acts in concert with others.

How do you respond to the monsters and jerks of the world? Where do you find your strength and discipline? Your energy?

Stand firm, but nicely. Strength and discipline come from within. The energy is there. The key is to be satsified by what one can do, and not become overwhelmed by what one cannot influence.

Along the lines of the serenity prayer - " . . . grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr.

One can also draw inspiration from others, which in my case includes my parents, my family, my friends, my colleagues, and a plethora of historical figures.

Do you believe our world will eventually 'mature'?

I wonder about that myself. History would indicate probably not. The world is divided in so many ways, and there are people who are quite satisfied with that division.

I was going to put these in Ivan's "Youtube Classics", but they seem appropriate here -

Why Walk 1000 Miles?(original edit)


1000 Mile Dream-Making of a Narradoc

 

[JasonRox]

You want mature people yet you aren't mature. You worry yourself about those who don't care yet that is not mature in itself. Smurf made a good point about this. Don't waste your time on them.

Also, you worry a lot about making a difference in the world. That should be the last thing on your mind. Make the big changes within yourself, so when the opportunity to make a change that may be global, you make the right one.

Look at the story of Dr. Banting and how he avoid millions of people from being exploited. Who else would have made that bold decision? Not many. Not many at all.

 

[Mallignamius]

Yes, and yes.

Curiosity about the world around me. I have considerable influence in the world - I just prefer to do it quietly and relatively anomously. Then, I am not the only one - no one acts alone - one acts in concert with others.

Stand firm, but nicely. Strength and discipline come from within. The energy is there. The key is to be satsified by what one can do, and not become overwhelmed by what one cannot influence.

Along the lines of the serenity prayer - " . . . grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr.

One can also draw inspiration from others, which in my case includes my parents, my family, my friends, my colleagues, and a plethora of historical figures.

I wonder about that myself. History would indicate probably not. The world is divided in so many ways, and there are people who are quite satisfied with that division.

I was going to put these in Ivan's "Youtube Classics", but they seem appropriate here -

Why Walk 1000 Miles?(original edit)


1000 Mile Dream-Making of a Narradoc

"The key is to be satsified by what one can do, and not become overwhelmed by what one cannot influence."
Wow, that seems like a huge missing piece in some kind of puzzle for me.

Your replies are very helpful. Thank you for this.

You want mature people yet you aren't mature. You worry yourself about those who don't care yet that is not mature in itself. Smurf made a good point about this. Don't waste your time on them.

Also, you worry a lot about making a difference in the world. That should be the last thing on your mind. Make the big changes within yourself, so when the opportunity to make a change that may be global, you make the right one.

Look at the story of Dr. Banting and how he avoid millions of people from being exploited. Who else would have made that bold decision? Not many. Not many at all.

Not mature? Ain't that the truth. I feel like my life started only a few years ago. I'm developing a sense of direction now. There seems to be a kind of natural flow to which I'm beginning to accept. I'm sure I'll figure out how best to respond to the external circumstances in time; maybe I will change things by changing who I am, by setting an example.

Thank you.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Along the lines of the serenity prayer - " . . . grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr.

Got that in the living room.

Do I care? I care enough to need the serenity prayer in my living room... a gift from mom.