Change Yourself Not the World

There is a problem in that a lot of manipulative people think it is a great idea to recruit young people to their cause in order to create a force multiplier to get support for their agenda. As a consequence people, especially young people, have been hoodwinked into thinking that they can find purpose by “changing the world” by taking on another’s cause. These causes can be made to sound really appealing, and have all manner of pathos accompanying them. If you do not fight for the planet, it will die. If you do not stand up for equality then tyrannical rule is in our future. The list goes on, and the popularity of one issue or another ebbs and flows based on how much money is being poured into the escalation of that message. There are legitimate causes, this is not about that. It is about the myth that people believe that by supporting a massive, social changing issue that you will somehow find value in your life. The reality is that will NOT happen.

True, Bono from U2 can take up a cause and fight for it and come out ahead with more value as a person then before he stepped up for the cause. However, a young person with nothing, not even a job or an education, or any experience will just be used by that cause until they are left alone and at the mercy of the very society they are trying to “change.” The news article runs about the young people that poured milk all over the store floor. They did not come up with this idea by themselves, they were encouraged to do it. We will never know the stimulus for this, by whom, or what funding source, but we do know the two kids. They were arrested. They are being arraigned now and will stand trial and will pay fines, serve jail time, plead for a deal with the prosecutor. They will be required to pay restitution. Their lives will seriously be impacted and the will get free publicity for their cause. They get zero value for themselves and a lot of value for the “cause.” The self worth they gain will be fleeting and they will pay for that for years and years.

Which leads me to this concept. We should all work on changing ourselves before we take on the world. Better that way. Guy