I want to leave my mark on the world.

[iwannarock]

^^^^
Pray. Maybe God hears you.

i know, but he can't debate me on certain issues, if any at all.

I have all these complex ideas inside of me, ideas on psychology, poltics, and philosophy, but as i am only 16, there isnt really any oppurtunities to express my ideas, and more importantly, have others point out hteir flaws.

and this leads to my false sense of superiority, with me thinking "these people couldnt possibly think on the same level on me, so im better".

all i know is if that i cant empty out these ideas and let it out, im going to go insane.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

i know, but he can't debate me on certain issues, if any at all.

I have all these complex ideas inside of me, ideas on psychology, poltics, and philosophy, but as i am only 16, there isnt really any oppurtunities to express my ideas, and more importantly, have others point out hteir flaws.

and this leads to my false sense of superiority, with me thinking "these people couldnt possibly think on the same level on me, so im better".

all i know is if that i cant empty out these ideas and let it out, im going to go insane.

Don't you know what the internet's for?

 

[Eudaimonist]

I have all these complex ideas inside of me, ideas on psychology, poltics, and philosophy, but as i am only 16, there isnt really any oppurtunities to express my ideas, and more importantly, have others point out hteir flaws.

and this leads to my false sense of superiority, with me thinking "these people couldnt possibly think on the same level on me, so im better".

You're a normal, bright sixteen year old.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Catherineanne]

i want power. I can control it. more importantly, i can use it effectively.

if i ruled the world it would be a much better place.

I am afraid the evidence is against you on this one. The evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of power corrupting people irretrievably, and even the best intentioned going off the rails, as far as they are capable of going.

Anonymity is a gift, and it is not one to throw away lightly. It is far better to do something worthwhile, however small, and not be recognised for doing it, than to be known simply for being known.

What matters is to contribute something, and to leave a good name behind you. I know that probably sounds impossibly old fashioned, but in the end all that we leave is our name, whether tainted or clean.

Here is an old Viking saying, from the 9th century Havamal:

Wealth dies, kinsmen die, a man himself must also die; but word-fame never dies, for him who achieves it well.

 

[SithDoughnut]

i know, but he can't debate me on certain issues, if any at all.

I have all these complex ideas inside of me, ideas on psychology, poltics, and philosophy, but as i am only 16, there isnt really any oppurtunities to express my ideas, and more importantly, have others point out hteir flaws.

and this leads to my false sense of superiority, with me thinking "these people couldnt possibly think on the same level on me, so im better".

all i know is if that i cant empty out these ideas and let it out, im going to go insane.

Well, for a start, you're posting in a forum dedicated to philosophy. You could start there. We'll be more than happy to point out the flaws in your ideas.

 

[Catherineanne]

i know, but he can't debate me on certain issues, if any at all.

I have all these complex ideas inside of me, ideas on psychology, poltics, and philosophy, but as i am only 16, there isnt really any oppurtunities to express my ideas, and more importantly, have others point out hteir flaws.

and this leads to my false sense of superiority, with me thinking "these people couldnt possibly think on the same level on me, so im better".

all i know is if that i cant empty out these ideas and let it out, im going to go insane.

You will not go insane because you have too many thoughts in your head; that is not how it works. You are far more likely to go insane if you seek for the kind of empty celebrity that is all around us.

If you really consider yourself so clever, then get yourself to the library, and do some serious studying. Find out exactly what you think that has not already been said or thought or written down. And when you find out what is actually unique, then follow that line of thought, and investigate it for the next 50 years or so.

At the end of that time, you will then be qualified to state whether you are, in fact, as clever as you think, or not. And the funny thing is, very few people who have studied in this way, and become experts in their field, would regard themselves as such. Far more usual is for such people to learn how little any of us can know, compared with how much always remains to be learned.

 

[Catherineanne]

I'm with the Nihilist. If you really want people to remember you, you're going to have to make them hate you. Really hate you. We're talking Judaism's view of Hitler level of hate. If Hitler had never proceeded with the Holocaust, I doubt he'd be as well known today. Try detonating nuclear bombs in major cities as part of a mass terrorist attack which you've engineered. I can guarantee you that you'd leave a mark then.

People remember the negative far more than the positive. If you do something good, you'll be remembered by those who choose to be educated about you. If you do something evil, everyone will remember you.

Who wants to be remembered that way?

Seriously, this is crazy thinking. Far better to be remembered for saving thousands of lives, like John Snow, than for taking them.

And if you don't know who John Snow was, then that doesn't matter. All that matters is that those who do know, appreciate just how important his contribution to the world was.

From The Medical Detective. John Snow and the mystery of Cholera.

In 1892, between 7,000 and 8,000 people died in Hamburg, from cholera. Britain braced itself for the same level of epidemic, but it never came. By the end of the century, the British government reclassifed cholera as a rare and exotic disease.

If you want to achieve something worthwhile in life, this is the way to do it, imo.

 

[SithDoughnut]

Who wants to be remembered that way?

Seriously, this is crazy thinking. Far better to be remembered for saving thousands of lives, like John Snow, than for taking them.

And if you don't know who John Snow was, then that doesn't matter. All that matters is that those who do know, appreciate just how important his contribution to the world was.

The point of my post was to point out that aiming for nothing more than fame does not lead to good consequences.

 

[Catherineanne]

The point of my post was to point out that aiming for nothing more than fame does not lead to good consequences.

Well, I like irony, but sometimes it may not be the best route. There is always a chance someone will take you at your word.

Suggesting, even ironically, that someone who wants fame could take to a life of mass murder is at best irresponsible, and at worst; well, do you really want to plant that kind of seed in anyone? What is that all about? We have an impressionable young man, and you tell him to emulate Hitler, or worse, and you expect him to understand that you meant the exact opposite of what you said?

I know he said he is clever, but I think you are asking rather a lot, to be honest.

 

[SithDoughnut]

Well, I like irony, but sometimes it may not be the best route. There is always a chance someone will take you at your word.

Suggesting, even ironically, that someone who wants fame could take to a life of mass murder is at best irresponsible, and at worst; well, do you really want to plant that kind of seed in anyone? What is that all about? We have an impressionable young man, and you tell him to emulate Hitler, or worse, and you expect him to understand that you meant the exact opposite of what you said?

I know he said he is clever, but I think you are asking rather a lot, to be honest.

Somehow I doubt that even this impressionable young soul read my post and went "Nuclear terrorism and mass murder? Sounds like a good idea." If he did, then there's a whole host of problems going on already. Besides, my idea is practically impossible to carry out.

 

[hairykid34]

if you want to be remembered and even well liked or admired (as well as being filthy stinking rich), then invent, patent and market a cheap, efficient and non-nature reliant (not like solar or wind) form of power generation that does not leave enviromentally harmful waste. (e.g. perfect a safe self-sustaining hydrogen fusion reaction then sell it)

 

[Received]

This thread is hilarious.

But I used to want to make a mark upon the world. Then I realized it's better if I let the world make its mark upon me. Doing the other thing can't be helped, and involves too much hope without validation -- quite the smooth sail to exhaustion. I'd like to limit my marks to others around me by being who I am.

 

[jayem]

I want to leave my mark on the world.

Be a teacher.

"I touch the future. I teach." --Christa McAuliffe