I don’t trust people who say they are going to change the world.

Saying that you want to change THE WORLD implies that you literally know what’s best for THE WORLD. It implies a degree of omniscience…and sorry…anyone with that much ego can’t help but be a bit dangerous. For every one person with good intentions towards saving the world, there are probably ten with nefarious intentions.

What I do believe in is people taking personal responsibility.

If we all took personal responsibility there would be no need to change the world. If people took care of their health, didn’t abuse substances, didn’t hurt others…If people took care of the children that they brought into the world…if people worked and didn’t spend more than they have…if people learned to respect others…

If every single person took care of themselves and respected others there would be no problems.

So I guess, if pressed to answer the prompt, I take care of myself. I take care of my daughter. I now help my parents. I take care of the pets that I’ve taken into my home. I take personal responsibility.

42 thoughts on “Bloganuary Day 29: How are you changing the world?”

  3. I respect your opinion but I think it depends on how it is stated and in what context. I have said that phrase many times while on my protesting journey. When I stood up and protested for integration at my high school my goal was to be a participant in helping to change the world, at least in my community, for the better. To give students of all races the opportunity to sit side by side in a classroom together. I felt my generation did help change the world. When I protested at my university to allow girls the right to wear slacks in the library rather than a dress and heals, it was as if I could push forward women’s rights a little bit. . One little goal to make my school more aware of restrictions put on female students. My little protest was picked up by a local paper and the university got so much backlash that it changed an out dated dress code. In my little world any thing I could do which helped move equality forward was changing the current climate of the day. That was our world. “We the people” is NOT Me the people. It was always about WE the people. Community goals for giving rights to women and minorities. And I’m still working on changing the world. It takes one person at a time working hand in hand together to achieve change. I feel now it’s a free for all and that keeps bigotry and injustice at a standstill. We are too divided. (Not my problem). Nope it’s All our problem. But then my generation sat in a sea of people and worked together. No guns, just brains, words, music, and love. You are talking about egomaniacs. If we keep WE the people in mind then we are ok. That’s what is missing today. It’s We not I. And I can tell you every good teacher you had changed the world one stand at a time. Everything a good parent taught his or her child changed the world a little. No, I politely disagree. Peace and love! ✌️❤️🎸

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      1. Here’s a question, LA. . Let’s say you discovered your home was sitting on land that was leaking a poisonous gas that was making people sick. Would you get involved to try to demand change? Would you move? Would you join with people in your building to try to fix the problem? Or not get involved because it’s not your responsibility? ? Do you think that sometimes you need to expand what your responsibilities are? For instance before getting cancer I wasn’t aware of the high cost of life saving cancer drugs . Now I’m involved in trying to raise awareness to help lower those drug costs because nobody should die because the can’t afford their medications. No, it’s not my responsibility , but if I can help change this situation in any way, then it’s worth a try. I’m not saying that one way is right or wrong. It’s all what you are comfortable doing. I think it depends on the circumstances. Would you discourage your daughter from getting involved in a cause? Just wondering.

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      2. As you probably know, I’ve been dealing with helping my parents and long term care insurance. I have no doubt that HIPAA laws were created by people trying to change the world. However, though the law has merits, I am facing mountains of bureaucracy because of these laws, and I want to change them. Who’s right? The people who made these laws, or me who thinks they go too far? And just watch how change and title 9 play out…. I also don’t like the change of banning Dr. Suess or any book. But there are others that think these changes are good. Is my way right just because I think it is?

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      3. Oh I get it. All aspects of insurance make zero sense. The cancer maintenance drugs to keep me alive aren’t covered by insurance but are available only nobody can afford them. None of it is fair. I’m sorry you have to deal with all that regarding your parents. I had to do that with my father too. It’s not easy. He died before his long term care ever kicked in…

        As far as book banning I don’t think any books should be banned.
        That’s why we change laws by voting. And why we need to elect leaders who aren’t in bed with special interests.

        I think a lot of laws are financially motivated not changing the world motivated. And I don’t think it’s a matter of right or wrong.

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      4. Yet…these are all examples of changes that are supposed to be for betterment of society…to protect people…I know we need to change…I think we have to think carefully about ramifications

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    1. You nailed it Chelsea. It absolutely takes both. It can’t be one or the other but both! Thank you for opening my eyes!
      A lot of my community dedication comes from my religious training. In the Jewish faith “tzedakah” was a way of life. Translated it means righteousness, but it also means charitable giving and I was raised to believe it was my moral obligation to give to the less fortunate. To focus on spontaneous acts of generosity and to daily help those in my community. From the time I was little it was drilled into me to help others in my neighborhood, my city etc. I was encouraged to help others over myself. Tzedakah is considered an ethical obligation. So growing up in the 60’s it was natural that my faith training transformed into political justice. Personal responsibility was expected certainly, but community responsibility was without a doubt necessary for the survival of my religious community.

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      1. As a fellow Jewess. I’d like to add to Lesley’s thoughts the term tikkun olam – heal the world. I think that expands on LA’s more limited concept of personal responsibility doing away with all problems. It does take a village, and I guess sometimes the demographic mix and/or priorities of those in the village change!

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      2. I have problems with mob mentality. Who is to say the group is right? Do people join factions blindly? This plays into my post from last Friday,and the my post for this coming Wednesday. And really, it’s rarely a collective village agreement…it’s one person with the loudest voice telling others what to do/think

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  7. If just the people who are ABLE to be personally responsible would do that it, that would be a big improvement over the current situation. And then those who are ABLE to help others could also help the ones who CAN’T take care of themselves. And it would be great if people would not try ‘help’ those who don’t want help.

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  10. A bit harsh there, prompt doer….in this country, and increasingly around the world, the main indicator of a persons health, wealth, potential and happiness, is dictated by the zip code they are born into. A stasis so strong it likely threatens to turn meritocracy into a collective ritual of class conscious rent-seeking.

    And when are you going to “The Nines,” and what, and where in the hell is “NoHo?”

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    1. Noho stands for north of Houston (pronounced how-ston, not you-ston) harsh yes. But I call the world as I see it. To say someone changed the world would mean that there is a right way of doing something. You know I don’t really do absolutes…I’m a shades of grey person

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  11. I think by taking personal responsibility you are changing the world. Everything we do effects someone or something else, which then “changes” the world in some way, whether positively or negatively. That’s just how I’ve looked at it.

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  12. I was going to say the same of taking responsibility. I often phrase it that if we are at least not adding to the chaos, then we are contributing a great deal. I share the same fear of those believing they know what’s best for everyone else. I remain suspicious of anyone claiming they know all that is going on, like how would that be possible. And I’m met few of such people claiming to know such when it comes to politics and world affairs. One declaring they are going to change things must assume they know all of what’s happening and how to change it for the better. Yeah, I think such people are dangerous. I remember once when I was a teenager protesting something to my Father about the many injustices in the world and how things should be changed. And he responded, “don’t worry, you’ll get your chance.” He was pretty wise, and despite what I may have contributed, I really changed nothing 🙂 Well, I changed myself, hopefully for the better

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  13. Couldn’t agree more! It seems that every generation thinks that they are going to be the ones to solve the world’s problems….and don’t see how arrogant that is! If we do right ourselves, in our own little corner of the world, that is what makes the difference.

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