A lot of people my age like to say stuff like "I want to either save the world or destroy it". It speaks to a desire to do something meaningful whatever it is.
The thing nobody is told is that there's a heroism in trying to excel in mundane ways. Seeing the literature on fatherhood and its effects on both boys and girls for example, being a good dad is a personal sacrifice that statistically speaking is overwhelmingly likely to cause good in the world in the future and prevent bad in the world in the future.
While that's one example it isn't the only one. Being an exceptionally good friend. Being an exceptionally good brother or sister. Being an exceptionally good son or daughter. Being an exceptionally good employee or employer. It's really hard but it does have an outsized impact on the world.
One key is that we shouldn't compare ourselves solely to our peers or even to the best of our peers. We should imagine what someone better than the best would be like and strive for that.
You aren't likely to get a medal for being a mundane hero. You aren't likely to become a billionaire and get to shake the president's hand. On the other hand, the impact you have will ripple out over the rest of humanity and just as negative things have a shadow, positive things cast light on the future.
The thing nobody is told is that there's a heroism in trying to excel in mundane ways. Seeing the literature on fatherhood and its effects on both boys and girls for example, being a good dad is a personal sacrifice that statistically speaking is overwhelmingly likely to cause good in the world in the future and prevent bad in the world in the future.
While that's one example it isn't the only one. Being an exceptionally good friend. Being an exceptionally good brother or sister. Being an exceptionally good son or daughter. Being an exceptionally good employee or employer. It's really hard but it does have an outsized impact on the world.
One key is that we shouldn't compare ourselves solely to our peers or even to the best of our peers. We should imagine what someone better than the best would be like and strive for that.
You aren't likely to get a medal for being a mundane hero. You aren't likely to become a billionaire and get to shake the president's hand. On the other hand, the impact you have will ripple out over the rest of humanity and just as negative things have a shadow, positive things cast light on the future.
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