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What is the way forward anxiety and direction ( a serious post)
So for many years even 2-3 decades I have wrestled with the same issues. Its no secret that I do not have the most positive outlook on the direction the world is headed and the future of our species. the threat of nuclear war, a theocratic dictatorship friendly to Putin happening in the US, global climate change threatening the very existence of this planet and the economic ramifications of a rigged economy based on compounding debt. All these things create a very negative outlook for the future.
I find myself wondering are we the only case of intelligent life in the universe? Seems absurd to assume so but then you look at how long life took to go from single celled life to multi celled life here and realize this is a very rare event. You look at the right conditions and variables and you realize something like this will be incredibly rare. I look at how messed up our world is and think if there is intelligent life out there I dont want to inflict us on it. However if we are the only case then we really dont want to let this brief light go out forever. However the most reasonable thing to believe is that intelligent life will be out there but it will be so rare that we likely will never make contact with it, rather then talking about how many cases of it are in our galaxy it would make more sense to ask how many galaxies contain a case of intelligent life and the answer is likely a low proportion.
Often I handle this in several ways by sharing the doom and gloom, and or been very silly and to be honest I dont think that will stop but it is all drawing attention away from the central issue I have faced I have wrestled with for a long time.
So the question I wrestle with is this, there was a point in my life that I truly believed I could make a massive change to the world that I could change the direction of our species it seemed easy work had earn good money compound the interest become a billionaire and go for it. Then I got into the real world and had a reality check. If I really applied applied myself could I actually change the world? Maybe who can say for sure but looking at the track record my success rate with people and everything else I think any outside person looking in would say it would definitely not be a reasonable believe to believe I could.
So do I just focus on enjoying my life making the most of it that I can? Focusing on Hedonistic pleasures? without going into too much detail I greatly enjoy going out my way to make my girlfriend happy. Some could say this is selfless, or makes me a nice person. Well maybe I am a nice person maybe I am not but that is not selfless behaviour its selfish behaviour I get a lot of pleasure out of it which is what motivates me.
Lets take an example of the issue these figures are not correct but are for illustrative purposes of the issue I face lets assume that my cost of living is £2000 a month, however in this example I am making £4000 a month (non of this is correct just for the example) now lets say I face two choices
Choice A I keep £2000 a month for spending on a good time with my girlfriend we go on nice holidays and I buy her nice things she likes and spend it all on making her happy
Choice B I keep back just £2000 a month maybe a tiny bit more and invest all the rest into a stock and shares portfolio different market conditions and interest rates etc can be speculated on but basically it would not be unreasonable to believe that if I did this I could have a portfolio worth a few million within 3 decades That portfolio would not be enough to change the world, or make much difference to the world. However it could definitely make a difference to a lot of people.
So would it be monumentally selfish if for my own hedonistic pleasure I chose option A? I mean in defence of that its not like I receive a blank check to get to that position i would have to work hard and it would be the product of my own hard work. I also would not have hurt anyone or be hurting people to get there.
Should I just focus on my own hedonistic pleasure accepting It is not reasonable to expect me to change the world or should I feel obligated to do everything I can to try and save the world or make the biggest difference I can?
I find myself wondering are we the only case of intelligent life in the universe? Seems absurd to assume so but then you look at how long life took to go from single celled life to multi celled life here and realize this is a very rare event. You look at the right conditions and variables and you realize something like this will be incredibly rare. I look at how messed up our world is and think if there is intelligent life out there I dont want to inflict us on it. However if we are the only case then we really dont want to let this brief light go out forever. However the most reasonable thing to believe is that intelligent life will be out there but it will be so rare that we likely will never make contact with it, rather then talking about how many cases of it are in our galaxy it would make more sense to ask how many galaxies contain a case of intelligent life and the answer is likely a low proportion.
Often I handle this in several ways by sharing the doom and gloom, and or been very silly and to be honest I dont think that will stop but it is all drawing attention away from the central issue I have faced I have wrestled with for a long time.
So the question I wrestle with is this, there was a point in my life that I truly believed I could make a massive change to the world that I could change the direction of our species it seemed easy work had earn good money compound the interest become a billionaire and go for it. Then I got into the real world and had a reality check. If I really applied applied myself could I actually change the world? Maybe who can say for sure but looking at the track record my success rate with people and everything else I think any outside person looking in would say it would definitely not be a reasonable believe to believe I could.
So do I just focus on enjoying my life making the most of it that I can? Focusing on Hedonistic pleasures? without going into too much detail I greatly enjoy going out my way to make my girlfriend happy. Some could say this is selfless, or makes me a nice person. Well maybe I am a nice person maybe I am not but that is not selfless behaviour its selfish behaviour I get a lot of pleasure out of it which is what motivates me.
Lets take an example of the issue these figures are not correct but are for illustrative purposes of the issue I face lets assume that my cost of living is £2000 a month, however in this example I am making £4000 a month (non of this is correct just for the example) now lets say I face two choices
Choice A I keep £2000 a month for spending on a good time with my girlfriend we go on nice holidays and I buy her nice things she likes and spend it all on making her happy
Choice B I keep back just £2000 a month maybe a tiny bit more and invest all the rest into a stock and shares portfolio different market conditions and interest rates etc can be speculated on but basically it would not be unreasonable to believe that if I did this I could have a portfolio worth a few million within 3 decades That portfolio would not be enough to change the world, or make much difference to the world. However it could definitely make a difference to a lot of people.
So would it be monumentally selfish if for my own hedonistic pleasure I chose option A? I mean in defence of that its not like I receive a blank check to get to that position i would have to work hard and it would be the product of my own hard work. I also would not have hurt anyone or be hurting people to get there.
Should I just focus on my own hedonistic pleasure accepting It is not reasonable to expect me to change the world or should I feel obligated to do everything I can to try and save the world or make the biggest difference I can?
Comments
For me, my most basic ambition in life nowadays is to make life better for those I care about. When I meet my maker, I'd like people to say "my life was better as a result of that guy being part of it". What that means exactly could take many forms, but being considered kind, considerate and loyal are important to me. My main goals are to be a good dad, partner, son, brother and boss. As somebody that is competitive (mostly with myself), I get a lot of satisfaction from every work promotion and every PB I set in sports, albeit the PBs are becoming a lot harder now I'm in my forties. If I don't make it to CEO, that will be fine - that comes with a lot of sacrifices.
Regarding your two scenarios, you might be interested in reading Bill Perkins book "Die With Zero". Only you can decide what is right for you and a lot depends on your financial circumstances. I would always recommend some balance: defer some pleasure today to provide for your future, while making sure you don't restrict yourself too much today. Until you get deep into your career, it can often be difficult to do both.
Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best
And
Always look on the bright side of life.
Love from Monty.XX
Allow me to give you an example. Occasionally I am fortunate enough to have an extra £50 or £60 available. Now I could use that to make extra payments on my credit card which is sensible and meaningful to me. However, what I like to do is purchase 7 or 8 meal deals from the local shop, 2 four packs of beer and the cheapest ciggies available. I then simply make up a package with a meal a beer and 2 or 3 cigs in and take them to rough sleepers.
Yes it's short term but only Government can effect long term change and differences, but in the moment it makes a difference. Not only does it say that they are valued as a human being but it also lets them know that at least somebody cares, somebody sees them, that they are not invisible, that they matter.
If you're not confident to do it on your own, contact an outreach worker to help or go out with a friend.
If that doesn't appeal then volunteer a couple of hours a week at a local foodbank, a charity shop or man a helpline. Don't fall into the trap of believing that you need wealth or power to make a difference to peoples lives.
It really is up to you.