15 questions I want to ask you and the world
In my posts I usually try to answer big questions that people are pondering. However, in this post I’m deciding to ask you and others questions about topics that I continue to think about. Whether it be war, money, success, or the environment. So here are 15 questions I want to ask you and the world. If you have any answers or have any questions for me, please leave a comment below.
1.) Is it better to donate money or to support a cause, organization, or person, in another way?
2.) Has the conflict and harm religion has caused outweighed the good it has produced?
3.) Will the greatest generation be the generation that doesn’t look to war or conflict for the solution to a major problem?
4.) Can all poverty and starvation ever be eradicated?
5.) Would you rather be born rich or poor?
6.) Why is it taking so long to switch to alternative fuels and energy?
7.) Why does the media profile so much negativity, as viewers, is that what we really desire to see and read?
8.) How come we continue to believe in politicians and their promises, when so many fail to follow through and keep those promises?
9.) Are most of your goals and dreams, wants or needs?
10.) Why is it so hard for people to be happy?
11.) Are we the only ones who exist in this universe?
12.) How do you plan on changing the world?
13.) Would you rather work 4 hours a week, earning $40,000 a month or would you rather work 40 hours a week, earning $400,000 a month?
14.) If you only had one more year to live, what would you do in that year?
15.) Have you found your purpose in life?
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March 17th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Since time is limited i’ll shortly answer a few.
1.Support in another way so you can see your money doing what it is intended to do.
2.Poverty and starvation cannot be eradicated as yet due to many political and economic factors,same goes for question six.
March 17th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
1. The true benefit is in the eye of the gifter. If you do not have time to spare but money is no object, then it would make sense to gift money, but if you are barely making ends meet, with more time on your hands, the obvious choice would be to give your time.
2. Definitely
3. The real question is, with humans only being humans and not really in control of their emotions, will there ever be a generation that doesnt look to conflict to solve their issues?
4. As long as corrupt individuals run governments, their will be no end.
5. Cant answer, there are too many variables.
6. Oil companies are too wealthy to sit back and allow the government to approve alternative fuels. Also, the mentality of the average joe wont allow change to just happen.
7. People are naturally negative, it is a chore to stay positive if you are not properly trained. Negativity breeds negativity.
8. We have no other choice but succumb to the politicians. As a democracy we have to choose a politician to represent our country, we just choose who we think will do less damage.
9. All my goals and dreams are wants, my desire to want is my desire to succeed.
10. When you are born into a negative society and its what you watch, listen, and learn growing up, you have to WANT to be positive. Its something you have to work on, it doesn’t come naturally to most people and as we can all see in our society, most people do just enough to get by. People don’t want to put forth the extra effort to change (its a travesty)
11. I believe there are plenty of other living beings in the universe and beyond.
12.
13. 40 hours at 400k/month, i am a huge advocate of working hard and making as much money as humanly possible.
14. In my final year i would settle all my conflicts, internal and external. I would try to see as many different countries/cultures/ lifestyles as possible. , surround myself with the people whom i love the most.Lastly
15. My purpose in life is to create excess wealthy,which will allow me to become a true philanthropist.
March 17th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Great answers Sj and danny. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate it and look forward to some other people’s opinions.
-Andrew
March 18th, 2008 at 2:54 am
1.) It depends on individual, for some seeing results is important, it doesn’t really matter,the act of giving is the important part.
2.) I don’t think you can underestimate the good of religion, esp. group prayer
3.) Huge lessons are learnt in conflict, but I long for the Eden of gentle feminie rule
4.) Can all poverty and starvation ever be eradicated? Definitely
5.) Would you rather be born rich or poor? Poor, lower excepctations
6.) Why is it taking so long to switch to alternative fuels and energy?
Power struggle, it will happen though, for the greater good
7.) Why does the media profile so much negativity, as viewers, is that what we really desire to see and read? Bad news sells better than good
8.) How come we continue to believe in politicians and their promises, when so many fail to follow through and keep those promises? I don’t know!
9.) Are most of your goals and dreams, wants or needs? Both
10.) Why is it so hard for people to be happy? Because it takes work, it’s finding balance and that is not easy
11.) Are we the only ones who exist in this universe? Nope
12.) How do you plan on changing the world? By living my life true and being a voice among voices
13.) Would you rather work 4 hours a week, earning $40,000 a month or would you rather work 40 hours a week, earning $400,000 a month?
14.) If you only had one more year to live, what would you do in that year? Travel, appriciate family and friends, appriciate life
15.) Have you found your purpose in life? In a way, my relationship karma, is balanced, money karma is balancing and working on ego karma…
March 18th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Thanks for taking the time to respond Megan. I was intrigued by your answer to number 5, “Poor, lower excepctations” that’s an interesting point.
-Andrew
March 19th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
1. Who’s to say what’s better?
2. What good? Morality? People had that before religion.
3. No. The greatest generation would be that which is most evolved. Everything, I repeat, everything looks to conflict to solve problems.
4. No.
5. Rich.
6. Are you really that naive?
7. Yes. Yes it is.
8. Simple psychology. Human nature.
9. Most are wants.
10. Because humans are naturally masochistic. Not me though, I’m pretty happy.
11. No.
12. I don’t plan on changing the world. The world changes with everything I do. For example, when I eat an apple, the world has one less apple. I don’t really plan those things.
13. 4 hours a week. 40,000 dollars a month is more than enough.
14. Live.
15. Yes. It has nothing to do with money, politics, charity, morality or religion.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Hey FMDC,
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. You have some interesting thoughts. As for “6. Are you really that naive?” No I don’t think I’m naive at all. I’m just curious to see what other’s have to say.
-Andrew
March 19th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
First, I would like to apologise if my English is not that good. These are my answers:
1. I would rather support a cause or an organisation because I feel that I would be able to help a greater number of people in that way. However, I would finance a project I would be able to supervise.
2.It depends on how you look at it. Religion has brought a lot of harm on an international scale, but it can bring so much good to an individual (in terms of internal peace, self-improvement, finding strength when one needs it etc.)
3.It probably will. However, I believe that is just a dream.
4.It is theoretically possible but hardly achievable. The problem lies not only in governments but also in the fact that all people should accept and learn to share with others. If everyone tried to help at least one person the world would much better place. But as I said, it is just a dream.
5. Well, rich. I don’t see what greater good I would be able to do to myself or the others as poor.
6. I wouldn’t really know.
7.It probably is. Television works that way, it gives people what they want to see.
8. maybe in your country you believe. We are completely disillusioned.
9. This is difficult to answer. Now that I have thought it trough, I realise that I have both, more wants though.
10. They do not try hard enough. It is a popular misconception that happiness comes by itself. Another, maybe even more important reason is that people are not really sure what they need to be happy, what is that that would make them happy. Sometimes they search for happiness in unimportant things, and they take real values for granted.
11. Who can really tell?
12. I’ll start from myself and mu family. It is not much, but it is a start.
13. It depends. It wouldn’t be solely my decision.
14. Spend as much time as possible with my friends and family.I guess that life would look differently from that standpoint- days would seem shorter, the sun would seem brighter, smells and colours would seem more intense when you know you are experiencing them for the last time
15. Just to share my love and happiness with people I meet om my life track hoping that some of it would pass onto them and that they would accept being my companions on the travel.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Hey Ivana,
Your english was fine. Your answer to number 2 is very intriguing: “2.It depends on how you look at it. Religion has brought a lot of harm on an international scale, but it can bring so much good to an individual (in terms of internal peace, self-improvement, finding strength when one needs it etc.”
-Andrew
March 19th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
1) money can be used or misused, support in other ways is more likely to make a difference.
2)yes, probably about 500 years ago, religion is just an outmoded way of controlling the masses and getting them to work with a common aim, the enrichment of their particular brand of religion.the next great leap necessary for the advancement of human consciousness is for the people of the world to transcend religion.
3)Not necessarily, when the bad people are running with guns and massacring the innocents, it does little good to say “can we stop and talk about this” arms and war should be used to force people to stop and talk. The people of the world need to agree to be different, and to live in peace.
4)yes, there is no shortage of food, it is just in the wrong place. America throws away enough every day to feed the third world. It is mainly third world corruption as in Zimbabwe, which was farmed very efficiently by the Afrikaans, but now the people are “liberated” and their “stolen farmland” has been returned to them, they are starving. The west also must take a large amount of blame for encouraging cash crop monoculture in third world countries, where the people should be growing food for themselves.
5)I have been both, rich is better.
6)because we are geared to oil, conspiracy theories aside, any industry will bury news and ideas that will have a negative effect on their business if they can. Example? drug companies recent admission that they play down (bury) negative trial results. (see “Seroxat” antidepressants) it’s been going on since Ned Ludd smashed looms(QV) Oddly, in the UK, if you want to build a coal, oil or nuclear power station it comes under essential infrastructure, and is done with very little or no planning permission, but if its a wind farm or a biogas digester, it’s different. We have some of the highest tidal estuaries in the world here, but virtually no tidal barriers with hydroelectric plants, It could be done, but there isn’t the political will or the industrial incentive to make it happen soon enough. Nuclear is not the answer, it is the most expensive way of generating electricity on the planet, and its only carbon neutral if you forget about the thousands of tons of cement and other materials that go into every one.
7)people like gossip, it sells papers, and most gossip is negative. It varies from country to country, the English love to hear about the sex lives of politicians, the French say that if they printed the sex lives of their politicians, there would be no room in the papers for anything else. If you think about this it does contain an element of boastfulness as well as satire!
8)Does anyone with half a brain really believe in politicians any more?I agree with Danny, as long as corrupt individuals are involved, we are going nowhere, and the very nature of politics, it attracts the morally corrupt. We could rule by referendum, as we have the perfect tools to vote on everything, but there would be millions of unemployed politicians, (shame). Of course we would have to make sure that the referendum was fair and on a 1 man 1 vote basis, oops, here we go again.
9)They are wants, and I am at choice as to whether I reach them or not.
10)It is not any harder to be happy than it is to be unhappy, just decide.
11)In an infinite universe with an infinite number of planets it is almost impossible to believe that there isn’t some sort of life elsewhere. It may not look anything like us.
12)By working diligently for my own salvation, and protesting for integrity in all things.
13)Tough one because I work 40 hours a week and get bored at weekends, I love working, the money isn’t that important. We all have to work to improve the planet and the lot of its inhabitants (that does not mean selling them consumer goods!)one of the problems is that far too many people earn too much for doing too little.
14)Travel
15)Yes, to try to leave the world better than I found it, to create order from chaos.
found you on stumble upon. I love your site, I will be back!
March 19th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Hey FMDC,
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. You have some interesting thoughts. As for “6. Are you really that naive?” No I don’t think I’m naive at all. I’m just curious to see what other’s have to say.
-Andrew
Oh, I thought you actually didn’t know why it’s taking so long.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Hey phil,
“found you on stumble upon. I love your site, I will be back!” Thanks so much. Look forward to seeing you. And thanks for taking the time to think and answer my questions.
-Andrew
March 20th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Ansa to eech yor kestion is:
It depends on your perspective.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
2. It is not the religion that commits atrocities. It is the people in the religion who would do harm regardless. Take away their religion and they will use nationality, ethnicity, political party, sports team, make of car, etc… as reasoning to do harm in the world.
March 20th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
You have a very good point Joey.
-Andrew
July 4th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Hi..here’s my perspective on some of the questions:
1. I think it is better to donate to a person. When you see first hand the difference that you are making in an individuals life, it will encourage you to donate as much and as often as possible.
2. i think that religion has produced a lot of good because it has given people faith, hope and spiritual motivation. People, in the name of religion, have also done a lot of harm….but i don’t think that any religion is the root cause of this…i think that one of the main causes of evil is extreme poverty, hunger, and starvation. i really belive that if hunger and starvation are ever eradicated, then all strife (in the name of religion or not) will begin to disappear.
3 and 4. I think the greatest generation will be the one that eradicates all poverty and hunger.
5. I know this doesn’t answer the question directly….but i would rather be born to parents that are content with their lives whether they are rich or poor.
6. I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but as far as the US is concerned, i’m pretty sure that Big Oil has a lot to do with it.
7. I’ve been thinking about this one myself lately…they say that negativity sells…but i don’t agree and i really don’t think that is what most viewers want. If one major network/station took the initiative to strictly limit the violence/negativity from their lineup, i’d like to think that more people would tune in–thereby encouraging other media stations to follow suit.
9. i think that the only true needs are basic food, shelter, and clothing. So,if i’m well off enough to have access to the internet, then most of my other goals must be wants…
13. By far the easiest question!– i’ll take 4/hr a week at $40,000/month any day!
14. Spend as much time with my son and my family as possible. Quit my job and go live somewhere close to nature…and exercise, eat right, and pray every day in the hope of beating the one year mark!
15. no
July 4th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Hey Devanshi,
I really like your answers. They are very much like mine.
-Andrew
July 4th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
ok, so its 12am and i misread the first question…so i will try to answer it again…i think that donating money might be better, since raising money is the end goal of most charities/organizations in need. However, for people that aren’t able to donate money, donating their time/energy is the next best thing.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Just found your site via a link from the english version of Pravda. Interesting questions.
1) Donating Money is easier for most people because it’s emotionally satisfying. Supporting the cause requires dedication and effort, frustration and despair at times. It can yield more emotional satisfaction, but as typical, the cost yields the benefit.
2) Religion was okay when it was a concept of God. People aren’t willing to die for an idea, whereas once God(Allah etc) became a belief, people would die for a belief.
3) Conflict is inherent in interpersonal relations. Absence of conflict is only possible through absence of people. Communications and open thoughts can avoid a lot of war, but not for ever.
4) No, poverty and starvation can never be eradicated without strict population control and hitlerian genetics which are anathemic.
5) The financial status at birth might have some minor advantages, but often the adversity of poor creates stronger moral fiber when overcome.
6) Money and efficiency are the two hurdles to alternative fuels. There’s also a potential negative side to wind and solar capture, removing energy from a system leads to imbalance.
7) Negativity catches attention. Positivity is probably the expectation so reporting the positive doesn’t gather attention.
9) I doubt that people dream much about needs. Food, Shelter, minimal clothing are primal needs and their absence doesn’t allow much time for dreams.
10) It isn’t hard to be happy. Many who are miserable are perfectly content because they have something to complain about. America has a cult of Unhappiness. You have to compare yourself with the Joneses. You have to wear certain clothes, purchase your way to happiness, overwork yourself to demands usually created by inefficiency. Because of the Puritan roots of denial of worldly pleasures, America is just a bit twisted in the definition of happiness.
11) No, we are not the only ones who exist in the universe, but I doubt that anyone else is a bipedal humanoid.
12) I don’t want to change the world, I just want to help it survive mankinds self-destructive nature.
13) Depends on how long I’d have to work the high paying job. I’d put up with it for a few years to then be absolved of the entire work responsibility.
14) With only one more year to live, I’d stop wasting so much time in a dead end, but well paying job.
15) No sign of my purpose so far.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
1.) As a musician, I understand that it takes money to get places sometimes. On the other hand, I don’t always trust big businesses or necessarily the people that run other kinds of organizations. If you really want to help, I would try doing other forms of aide, such as promotion or something to spread the word. If you don’t have the money to give, maybe you can help in other ways!
2.) I’ve battled this one for years, and after all my research, I’ve dropped religion as a course of action. There’s way too much debate over earthly creations and doctrines. I’m not saying that annoyance is the reason. I’ve just found too much evidence against religion as a whole. Nested as a method to control populations and mass opinions, I need not say how many wars “beliefs” have caused. “God” is one of the the hardest words to define. I’ve found that concentrating less on that mystery, and more on self-improvement and understanding Love and Truth have definitely done more for my headaches and disappointing open-prayers.
3.) I certainly hope so. At times, war is necessary. But only because some people(s) aren’t easily swayed to be “peaceful” and “understanding”. I hope Atheism is looked at as a more intelligent way of looking at things, to where people can agree to disagree and get along based on the idea of our Human Race as a whole.. not limited by genre, class, creed, color, etc…
4.) Only as much as we’re willing to pull together and reface our governments to do so.
5.) I’ve been perfectly happy being lower-middle-class. I think it’s a good starting point to the understanding… *ahem…* “You can’t always get what you waaant… but if you try sometimes… you get what you need”.
This is not an excuse to limit yourself, though.
6.) Too much money involved. International bankers, Oil Tycoons, etc have the game on lock-down. They don’t want to change. That’s why they own basically everything and have their hands in every possible outcome.. from the war in Iraq to “Global Warming”.. it doesn’t matter. Truth is, we’ve not told them “Guess what.. we’re changing.. like it or not…”
People need to remember their will to rule their own lives.
7.) No, it’s really not. But we make it so by allowing it to continue. I’ve heard that in a few years they want to make the internet much like cabel and satellite subscriptions. They want us to “buy” our way to view sites. They want to discourage you, bring you down, advertise weight and sleep pills and tell you something wrong with you to convince you that you NEED these things… I watched an Ally (weight loss pill) and McDonalds commercial back-to-back and thought to myself.. “my word… what are they doing to people…” They have you all confused. You love that little box called a “TV”. Life is yours to control.. go out and change your world, people!
8.) Because they’ve been part of groups like the Illuminati, Masons, and Skull & Bones organizations that wish to enslave us and wether we allow them or not, they will do whatever is in their power (which is far more than you as an individual) to do so. They do not wish for a society that is capable of Critical Thinking. They want to dumb you down… dumb down your schools.. so your children aren’t well educated to think for themselves… It’s a shame, really.. we have to wake up…
9.) Wants. I want to be a big musician. I want to enlighten people. I wish to attempt to change the world. These are not things we “need” per se. But in a sense… they are more of a need than mediocrity could ever be… why settle for less?
We all die. You are no exception.
Fearful or fearless.. your life has value. You decide if you live up to it.
10.) It’s all in your head. We’re all capable of happiness.. we let this world we live in “make up our minds” for us. We don’t think.. meditate.. take the time to see things from a different perspective. We can all be happy… if you let yourself.
11.) Ask a Scientist, then ask a Reverend… Then draw your own conclusion.. because regardless of how accomplished either one is.. THEY DON’T KNOW.
12.) One person at a time if that’s what it takes. Through music, blogs, influence, or even just taking the time to answer someones questions..
13.) 40 hours a week. Simply because I do that now, and if I was payed $400,000 a month I’d be doing well enough to change the world… faster.. lol…
14.) I’d try to have lots of sex.. lol.. I would enjoy time with strangers discussing all the wonders of the world. I’d try my hardest to smoke a fat ass blunt with all my favorite musicians and see if I could push out an album before I croak. Have a few dozen threesomes with the hottest ladies that were down for it.. haha.. and then maybe even write a short book. Or a long one.. depending.. I know I’d have soooo much to say… And then.. get ready for that question to be answered.. “what happens when you die?”..
*gulp*.. lol
15.) I discover it more and more each day.
August 25th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Thanks for responding Kizzle. I really like some of your answers.
-Andrew
September 30th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
1.) Is it better to donate money or to support a cause, organization, or person, in another way?
I’d go for non-monetary support.
2.) Has the conflict and harm religion has caused outweighed the good it has produced?
Yup. But it’s because of people and not because of religion itself.
3.) Will the greatest generation be the generation that doesn’t look to war or conflict for the solution to a major problem?
Nope. It will be the generation before that one.
4.) Can all poverty and starvation ever be eradicated?
Can stupidity and greed ever be eradicated?
5.) Would you rather be born rich or poor?
Rich and without money.
6.) Why is it taking so long to switch to alternative fuels and energy?
Because of greed… what else?
7.) Why does the media profile so much negativity, as viewers, is that what we really desire to see and read?
It seems that’s what we want.
8.) How come we continue to believe in politicians and their promises, when so many fail to follow through and keep those promises?
I have no idea.
9.) Are most of your goals and dreams, wants or needs?
Not most, but quite a few.
10.) Why is it so hard for people to be happy?
Because “happiness” does not exist. There are moments of happiness, but no an absolute state of happiness.
11.) Are we the only ones who exist in this universe?
Probably not.
12.) How do you plan on changing the world?
Do I?
13.) Would you rather work 4 hours a week, earning $40,000 a month or would you rather work 40 hours a week, earning $400,000 a month?
4 hours a week. Life’s too short.
14.) If you only had one more year to live, what would you do in that year?
The same as I’ve been doing before.
15.) Have you found your purpose in life?
Yes. My purpose in life is finding my purpose in life.
September 30th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Thanks for the responses Nahuel! You made some interesting points, especially this one: 2.) Has the conflict and harm religion has caused outweighed the good it has produced?
Yup. But it’s because of people and not because of religion itself.
-Andrew
November 15th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
1. Depends, but probably in another way.
2. The only good I see from religion is the personal gain that some people get from it, overall it’s only caused destruction.
3. Hard to say. I don’t think there ever will be a “greatest generation”, to be honest.
4. Maybe. I read an interesting idea in a book called “Ishamel”, by Daniel Quinn. He said that, if people were to allow countries that are starving to just starve, then the population would dwindle until it came down to a number that it can actually support, and in that way the starvation would end. However, most people see this as evil, just letting them starve.
5. Rich.. I know that I’d probably be a strong person with lower expectations if I were poor, but I can’t help but to think that being rich would be less of a struggle.
6. Because people find comfort in sameness. We don’t like change.
7. Because it sells, and yes, that’s what we want to see and read apparently, or else it wouldn’t sell.
8. Because it brings the people hope, for a short period of time.
9. I’m assuming this is meant to read “Are most of your goals dreams, wants or needs?”
Good question.. Most likely dreams, but needs comes very close to that.
10. A few reasons. The first being that everyone always wants more, we’re never satisfied with what we have.
But I think there’s a bigger reason. I think the biggest reason as to why we’re so unhappy is because we complicate things too much. You never see animals or pets (unless they’re being abused) that are unhappy, because to them everything is SIMPLE. My birds really don’t have a particularly exicitng life, but they’re so happy with it. We need to learn to stop over complicating things.
11. I don’t know, no one does for sure.
12. I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and I have no idea yet.
13. 4 hours a week by far. I’d have more time to enjoy life, and 40,000 dollars a month is a lot of money for me!
14. Find love, quit my job, start living.
15. I don’t believe that we have a purpose. Our purpose is to live and then to die, just like any other living thing. As much as we’d like to believe otherwise, we aren’t special.
November 15th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Hey “Anonymous”
“I think the biggest reason as to why we’re so unhappy is because we complicate things too much. You never see animals or pets (unless they’re being abused) that are unhappy, because to them everything is SIMPLE. My birds really don’t have a particularly exicitng life, but they’re so happy with it. We need to learn to stop over complicating things.”
- This is very true! I was just thinking about this yesterday. People make big problems out of small, unimportant things.
“I don’t believe that we have a purpose. Our purpose is to live and then to die, just like any other living thing. As much as we’d like to believe otherwise, we aren’t special.”
I don’t really agree with you here, but you make a valid argument.
-Andrew
November 29th, 2008 at 1:05 am
1.) I would say in person, because money can only do so much. Sure, it’s nice to have a little certificate hanging on your wall saying “On behalf of [insert organization/cause here], we thank you, John Doe, for donating to us, blah blah blah.” Sure, every little bit counts, but it’d be better if you went out there in person and showed your support.
2.) Yes, it has. Instead of unity, there is now tension everywhere you tread. No one can say or do anything anymore without worrying who they’re insulting. It’s just crazy.
3.) As much as I’m against war, I will have to say no to that, because then that generation will be criticized for not going to war, and may ultimately have to cave in and spark some sort of mega war.
4.) Unfortunately, no. It cannot. So long as there are people living, there will always be unfortunate realities.
5.) Born poor. It sounds sick, but I’d rather have to work for everything in life rather than everything be handed to me on a silver platter. I kind of regret that I was adopted into the latter. I never had/have to work for anything. And honestly, it makes me feel useless sometimes.
6.) Money.
Money.
Money.
End of story.
People in the big gas and oil industries don’t want to lose theirs. The other people are ready. The big makers aren’t.
7.) Just think about it for a moment, if all we saw on the television, or read about in the papers was how a kitten was rescued from a tree, or a young boy saved an elderly man’s life, day after day after day, wouldn’t it become repetitive and boring? Everything would just repeat itself. We as humans need the negativity to feel good about ourselves. We need to know that things could always be worse. We need to have that comfort that even though you could be in the worst situation of your life, financial, emotional, physical, etc., that there’s always someone else who has it worse. The media is just the fastest way to get the point to us.
8.) It’s like a baby and their blanket, or other prized possession. They need that security, it makes them feel good. If we can be assured something for even a moment, we feel better.
9.) They’re a combination. Some of them I want because I need them to be happy in life. Others are just luxury and some are needs just for convenience.
10.) People tend to focus on the bad. For instance, I once did an exercise for a class once where we plotted out the timelines of our lives with certain memories/milestones that stuck out to us like a line graph. The good ones were above the center line, the bad ones below. My instructor then said something that I realized was true: most of the bad things, the negative things, the things that made us unhappy, were out of our control. Most negative things that happen to us, we don’t have any control over how they play out. We feel unhappy because a part of us feels as if we should’ve been able to prevent that, but the other knows we had no chance and just had to let things play out.
11.) Well, we like to think we are, but I’m not too sure. Sometimes, I’m convinced there’s more out there, but others, I’m convinced that it’s only us and this somewhat-green Earth.
12.) My main goal in life is to become a writer. I want to change the world by giving people something to believe in. I want to give them a place they can escape to as many times as they want, whenever they want. I don’t mean a religion, or a cult, just something that can help them through things and let them just get away for a while, but all the while, keeping them grounded.
13.) I guess it depends on what work I was doing. If I was happy, extremely happy, and I enjoyed what I was doing, I’d put in the extra hours. But if I was miserable, and didn’t care, I’d choose the 4 hours. I’m lazy and I admit it.
14.) I’d write like crazy, get wild, do things I’ve always wanted to do, and just live.
15.) I believe I have. The only thing now, is convincing my parents (I’m only 16) that I know what it is.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Hey Anjelica,
“5.) Born poor. It sounds sick, but I’d rather have to work for everything in life rather than everything be handed to me on a silver platter. I kind of regret that I was adopted into the latter. I never had/have to work for anything. And honestly, it makes me feel useless sometimes.”
I don’t think it sounds sick at all. It’s great that you want to work for what you get. I feel the same way about the lottery. I never want to win it. I rather work for the money I earn.
Don’t think that you’re useless. You will have to work for a lot as you get older. When you’re younger it’s not usually the case.
“7.) Just think about it for a moment, if all we saw on the television, or read about in the papers was how a kitten was rescued from a tree, or a young boy saved an elderly man’s life, day after day after day, wouldn’t it become repetitive and boring? Everything would just repeat itself. We as humans need the negativity to feel good about ourselves. We need to know that things could always be worse. We need to have that comfort that even though you could be in the worst situation of your life, financial, emotional, physical, etc., that there’s always someone else who has it worse. The media is just the fastest way to get the point to us.”
I think stories of kittens stuck in trees would be very boring. But positive news does not need to be like that. What about all the people doing charitable causes, fighting for what they know is right, helping people during disasters? There are plenty more positive stories that are compelling.
I like what you said about the negativity; that it puts things in perspective. Interesting point.
-Andrew
December 4th, 2008 at 2:55 am
1. support them in a personal way than donate blindly.
2. definitely yes, Isn’t it amazing that we don’t hear this question quite often ?
3. the greatest generation will be the one of free and critical thinkers.
4. yes, it can be done locally, and eventually in the world.
5. born rich ( i have learned so much this way )
6. because alternative fuels are hyped too much, we simply don’t have the capital or the research to get a substantial alternative yet. sad, but the truth.
7. yes, sadly the majority of us do. media does this coz it makes profit coz of us.
8. we humans want someone to make sense of everything and we get deluded too easily.
9. wants and needs.
10. jealousy, the genetic urge to survive and have food is transferred into an urge to succeed in everything.
11. most probably not.
12. technology changes the world, and i wanna control the technology to better this world.
13. 40 hrs, not for the money, but the love of what i do.
14. spend my time with my gf and family, friends. n try to make this a better place before i leave
15. no not yet, i am very close.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:00 am
11. sorry i meant most probably yes. even if the probaility of a planet to ave a life is one in a billion, there still can be about a billion planets hosting life.
December 4th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Hey “jsg10″,
I found this response to be most interesting:
“5. born rich ( i have learned so much this way )”
That’s great you’ve learned a lot from being so fortunate. Most people born rich are isolated and don’t understand how others are living.
-Andrew