Everyone that I have come into contact with has made a difference in my life, without anyone ever knowing about it. Then there are those who made a difference to everyones lives. Take any personality that you have heard of from a few different sources, word of mouth, television, newspaper; they all have made an impact on a lot of people.
Then there are those people who are known for a specific reason, a movie star, sports icon, business tycoon, politician. They have become a part of our lives and a part of human history. Most of us wish that we were rich/famous or important as those celebrities, we wish our names were remembered for generations and when people spoke of us, they spoke with awe and respect. I am human and I too wish for it, sometimes.
But there are moments of clarity when I realize how unimportant I am, or anyone is, even the human race. I realize that whatever I build, will be buried in the dust, whatever I write, will be corrected, the words I speak, lost in the wind. I realize that the pursuit of personal glory, luxury and happiness are so trivial and selfish.
Does anyone remember the person who invented the wheel or writing? Those are probably the most important inventions of human history; inventions that laid the foundation of human civilization. Yet those who invented it were wiped from history, probably before they died.
I wish I could contribute something useful, in whatever way possible. But I sure hope I am not remembered for it.
You see, my arrogance transcend the norm and my enlightened self-interest tells me that the people who make real difference in our lives are those we never hear of.
Related articles
- What is Enlightenment? (Kant) (english.upenn.edu)
- Cassirer and the Enlightenment (inpropriapersona.com)
- Freud, the Reluctant Philosopher (newstatesman.com)
