"You have the chance to change the world every single day."
I'm not going to trash that statement. For once, I actually agree with an overused inspiring quote. Because.. well.. it's true. For me, anyways. Take a look at the Butterfly Effect. Yes, it's an actual scientific theory. If a tiny butterfly flaps its wings at the precise right moment in Brazil, the microscopic changes in the trajectory of the atmosphere could potentially start a tornado in Texas. I like to parallel this to people.
If you compliment one random person, lets call him Bob, he might feel important and worthy of life. His suicidal tendencies will fade over time, leaving a well-adjusted young man with the rest of his life ahead of him. Lets say Bob was kind and sensitive. Maybe he was suicidal because he had a tough life and no one to show him love in ways he understood. Well now that he's okay, his whole life will change. He might compliment people as they walk by in hopes of saving just one more person. He might start a charity or foundation to help or sponsor people who are sad or lonely. He might realize his estranged father really did love him and just didn't know how to show it. Or he might take his new outlook on life for granted and simply carry on living. No matter what Bob does with his life, you've created several hundred thousand should-have-beens that will never be. People will never meet, events will never unfold, problems will never be solved, questions will never be asked. You have essentially just changed the world.
For the sake of an extended example, lets say Bob was ambitious and decide he did in fact want to start his charity. He successfully reached out to youths in troubled homes from mid-sized cities all over his state. Forgetting technicalities like "where did he come across the money to fund something that huge?" for a moment, we can look at the effects of his little constructive workshop.
Toni and Suzy both attended his school-based conference. They were both dramatically impacted by his inspiring story and the statistics he presented. Toni left the gang he had been a part of for three years and dedicated his life to family and sports. Suzy started a mentoring outreach program in her neighborhood for younger kids. Toni's gang shot him for deserting his "family". Suzy became the symbol of hope for the younger generations in her and the surrounding neighborhoods. In both cases, Bob is now responsible for the changes he caused, and you are now responsible for what he caused.
Now let's look at the contrast. Maybe Bob wasn't such a great guy. Maybe there was something wrong with the way he thought about things. Maybe he could sense the immense and imminent danger unfolding within him. Maybe he was on the verge of cracking and falling into sociopathic natures. So when he was walking down the street toward you, that look on his face wasn't sadness or despair. It was a deep-set internal battle contemplating his power, soul, and fate. When you told him his shirt was cool, he saw that as a sign of his dominance over the general public as a whole. The small remaining good in him was extinguished leaving nothing but a monster with a smiling mask.
It's not your fault that Bob turned evil.. but you did cause it. No one can blame you, but you are responsible. You are the singular root of everything he might do and whatever he may become from that exact instance forwards.You have just changed history by complimenting a shirt.
Every single day we do have the chance to change the world, for better or worse. The hard part is deciding if and when we should. Is it worth it?
If you compliment one random person, lets call him Bob, he might feel important and worthy of life. His suicidal tendencies will fade over time, leaving a well-adjusted young man with the rest of his life ahead of him. Lets say Bob was kind and sensitive. Maybe he was suicidal because he had a tough life and no one to show him love in ways he understood. Well now that he's okay, his whole life will change. He might compliment people as they walk by in hopes of saving just one more person. He might start a charity or foundation to help or sponsor people who are sad or lonely. He might realize his estranged father really did love him and just didn't know how to show it. Or he might take his new outlook on life for granted and simply carry on living. No matter what Bob does with his life, you've created several hundred thousand should-have-beens that will never be. People will never meet, events will never unfold, problems will never be solved, questions will never be asked. You have essentially just changed the world.
For the sake of an extended example, lets say Bob was ambitious and decide he did in fact want to start his charity. He successfully reached out to youths in troubled homes from mid-sized cities all over his state. Forgetting technicalities like "where did he come across the money to fund something that huge?" for a moment, we can look at the effects of his little constructive workshop.
Toni and Suzy both attended his school-based conference. They were both dramatically impacted by his inspiring story and the statistics he presented. Toni left the gang he had been a part of for three years and dedicated his life to family and sports. Suzy started a mentoring outreach program in her neighborhood for younger kids. Toni's gang shot him for deserting his "family". Suzy became the symbol of hope for the younger generations in her and the surrounding neighborhoods. In both cases, Bob is now responsible for the changes he caused, and you are now responsible for what he caused.
Now let's look at the contrast. Maybe Bob wasn't such a great guy. Maybe there was something wrong with the way he thought about things. Maybe he could sense the immense and imminent danger unfolding within him. Maybe he was on the verge of cracking and falling into sociopathic natures. So when he was walking down the street toward you, that look on his face wasn't sadness or despair. It was a deep-set internal battle contemplating his power, soul, and fate. When you told him his shirt was cool, he saw that as a sign of his dominance over the general public as a whole. The small remaining good in him was extinguished leaving nothing but a monster with a smiling mask.
It's not your fault that Bob turned evil.. but you did cause it. No one can blame you, but you are responsible. You are the singular root of everything he might do and whatever he may become from that exact instance forwards.You have just changed history by complimenting a shirt.
Every single day we do have the chance to change the world, for better or worse. The hard part is deciding if and when we should. Is it worth it?
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