I don’t know how to put this succinctly, but I read recently about someone feeling like they’re an outsider looking into the world of “normal” people. I feel a bit of the opposite, like I’m a “normal” person just realizing how shit it is to be part of the problems in our world right now-I’d much rather be an outsider to all of it so I couldn’t accept responsibility. I’m just as much of a contributor to everything bad as any other peer in the world. It’s not like I can pinpoint one certain thing I do that makes me feel that way, but I realize how often I judge other people for thinking they’re the perpetrators in everything wrong with society, when I’m not doing anything that differently from the rest of them. It goes the opposite way in that no matter how helpful I think I’m being to contribute to some “greater good,” I still feel I’m doing the bare minimum, and feel culpable in my smallness and ability to enact long lasting in the way I’d like to see the world.
I think it is important to keep an eye on your sphere of influence and not take on emotional burdens for things that are far outside of that. Most people are not in a position to make a major impact on the world stage, and that’s ok, but those same people can have a huge impact in their community and with their families.
If you start by refining yourself into a person who stands on a foundation of values, you will be better prepared if you have the opportunity to make serious change. If you don’t get that chance, you will still have intentionally continued to grow into a wiser person than you started as. It’s a win win.
If you do find yourself in the position to do the right thing and influence change at scale, then it is up to you to call on those values and do so. I often think about how there have been so many people who could have changed the course of many global issues, and they bailed on the responsibility.
So I guess my stance boils down to: refine yourself, don’t blame yourself for the things you can’t change, and change the things you can for the better using your best available judgment. That’s all that most people can be asked to do.