Today, write about any topic you feel like — but you must reuse your opening line (at least) two more times in the course of your post.
I want to change the world.
I have not clue how. I don’t even know where to begin. Large, small, for better or worse; I have no clue.
But still that rings through my head: I want to change the world.
I didn’t really realize it until my last blog post. I went with taking the chip, for what I thought were very good reasons. Add to human knowledge, revolutionize psychology as we know it. Help people. Sure, it wouldn’t be a very fun life for me. Being isolated from my friends. My family. My daughter. Not completely gone from their lives, but it wouldn’t be the same. It would be lonely. But at some level, it would be worth it if I could leave my mark.
A lot of people didn’t think so. They may have had respect for my reasons, saw them as nice; as noble. The typical response was that the sacrifice would be too hard, the downsides too great. Some people even thought it was wrong that the losses I would want to do it.
I can’t say they are wrong. Is the willingness to toss my self aside for the “greater good” really good? Do I even know what good is? Am I even able to perform the good that I keep proposing to do?
I want to change the world. But I don’t know if I can?
But then I start to take a different angle. Have I been looking at things wrong? I am so focused on changing the world at large. At leaving a grand mark. There is no way I have done that, right?
Wrong. I already have changed the world. Just by living my life. Just by being human.
If I didn’t exist, millions of things would be different. My daughter would be gone, some of my friends would be much worse off, and some may be better. But the world would be an entirely changed for my absence.
Even by writing this now, I am changing things. I can’t know right now how things will change. If it will be big or small. Good or bad. But it will be a different outcome than if I did nothing.
I want to change the world. I guess I’ll get started.
A mad scientist friend offers you a chip that would allow you to know what the people you’re talking to are thinking. The catch: you can’t turn it off. Do you accept the chip?
Probably. Sure, it’s a social double-edged sword. But it’s also superpowers.
One common theme I noticed on a lot of the other posts on this topic is how it would disrupt their everyday lives, destroying their friendships and keeping them from being able to live normal. They would feel bad invading other people’s privacy unwillingly, would dread having to leave society, would feel the weight of the moral implications crushing them, etc.
Those are all very good, valid points.
But when you have superpowers, why would you want to be normal?
I pretty damn sure I would instantly lose all my friendships, due to knowing what my friends truly think, as they think it, unfiltered and live. But I could get new friends, and even rebuild relationships, over the internet or phone. Can’t read someone’s thoughts when they are miles away, right?
I also couldn’t really stand to be around people for large amounts of time, or around large crowds due to the inevitable brain over-load. But there are many jobs you can do from home, groceries delivered to your front door, and I’m not exactly a social butterfly anyways. I would just be prepared for a psychic onslaught when I went into public, but it wouldn’t be an everyday thing I’d have to endure.
It would also completely destroy my self-esteem at first, since hearing how someone thinks you are fat, ugly, and stupid for the umpteenth time wouldn’t be fun for anyone. But at the same time, if someone likes you, or thinks you are awesome, you would know that is how they truly feel. You could surround yourself with the truly nicest people around. Or, at least, the most honest jerks you don’t mind. Plus, it would force you to develop a thick skin, a strong sense of self, and a good sense for bullshit.
Aside from all that awfulness, I’d have to power to know people’s thoughts. I’d know the perfect thing to say, when someone is lying to me, a person’s bank account info, where the killer hid the body and murder weapon, insider trading information, etc.
That is a lot of power to wield, I’m getting a maniacal rush just thinking of it.
It is a lot of knowledge too. I could learn things at the speed of thought from Stephen Hawking, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and other great minds. I would know how someone’s brain processes normally, and how it would change or differ while under the influence of drugs or mental illness. Imagine all of the leaps and bounds you could make in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and sociology. Not to mention, other fields of science, by being able to combine the best thoughts out there into one. Imagine being able to literally write the book on people, on how different personality types work, on how people think and feel. Imagine being the greatest mind alive.
Why would I ever pass up that opportunity?
So, since I’m not a manipulative bastard, my plan after getting the chip is to use my power to make a bunch of money and move somewhere away from civilization. Then, I would either visit or invite people so I could learn and develop various grand world shattering theories and the like. Go to school online, make friends via the internet, and general live a good, productive, world changing existence.
Or, you know, use it to become an evil, world ruling dictator with my mad scientist second in command.
Or use it to get laid.
Or even do all of the above.
Because who would really be able to use god-like powers for only good?
This is a follow up to my post, God Prefers an atheist, where I clarify points and discuss topics that came up in the comments.
First of all, I love comments. I love discussion and debate. I love that this post did inspire my friends and other to come out and comment. So thank you to everyone who joined in. Since is this is the first time I’ve discussed something like this in detail on my blog, I’m going to more posts, going off of the things brought up during the discussion.
First up is the idea of original sin and hell: As both Brandon and Alex pointed out, the concept of original sin may not mean one is doomed to hell. Only in certain sects of Christianity, typically Evangelical Protestants, do people need to actively convert and accept Jesus Christ, or be consigned to fiery damnation. The only reason this view seems to get said a lot is due to the United States having the largest concentration of Evangelicals.
The main misunderstanding I had was that I confused original sin with guilt. Original sin is the idea that Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden cause the rest of humanity some sort of detriment. Usually in the form of suffering or an inclination towards sin, but it can be as extreme as the doom to hell I mentioned in the other post. Guilt and personal sin are the actions you have in this life, and they are the things that typically get you an appointment with good old Mr. Scratch. As Brandon said, it is a very misunderstood topic, and as Alex pointed out I made a large generalization in my last post.
So here are two examples of interpretations of original sin where I may not go to hell: Mormonism and Catholicism.
In Mormonism, one is only damned to hell for actively turning away from god after witnessing him in his true glory. To put it simply, unless one has gone through the temple and been ordained, they aren’t able to deny god since they don’t know him. Therefore it is after death that they make the decision to convert or deny god. That is the only way to get to outer darkness, or hell, in the Mormon faith. Even atrocities from the likes of dictators would not be enough to deny those dictators heaven, unless they knew god like the Mormon priesthood does. In regards to original sin, Jesus would have atoned for it, and therefore we no longer suffer due to it.
Therefore, according to Mormonism, I would go to heaven, because by then I would actually see and know god and thusly would no longer be an agnostic atheist. Sure, I don’t get to be an eternal spirit being with my own planet, but even the Telestial kingdom is supposed to be nice and chill, something akin to a deathless painless earth.
Catholicism has the Nostra Aetete, which addresses how people from other faiths may still reach salvation through their faith, even if they do not follow the Catholic Church. My friend Alex (the one who left the comment) once explained it to me this way: if a Buddhist was to die, he would go to the afterlife, and Jesus would appear to him. He would tell them that being Buddhist was in line with god’s teachings, and was in fact just another path to god. They would then be allowed into the kingdom of heaven. The same goes for other faiths, although I am over generalizing it a little bit. Original sin in Catholicism just accounts for humans acting sinfully, instead of acting on our divine roots.
When it comes to Catholicism, were I of a conflicting faith, things would be perfect for me. However, the church seems to be very much against agnosticism, and has mixed views towards atheism. Although one could argue using the Nostra Aetete that atheists may also go to heaven, the source I found for Catholic Doctrine on agnosticism isn’t as pretty. So, more likely than not, I would be going to hell according to the Catholic Church, but there is room for debate. Ironically it would be for my agnosticism though, and not the atheism.
So can I win with original sin?
Apparently it is a solid maybe. That is new news to me, and I may in the future try not to generalize beliefs as much in the future. One should instead look at the God Prefers an Atheist post and insert Evangelical or any other sect with those opinions in instead of just Christian. Because the sentiment of the post still remains true. Any god that would force me to believe or go to hell is not worth believing in. As far as how I feel about gods who are kinder than that, that will have to be addressed in a later post.
Now of course, if I have gotten anything wrong, feel free to correct me on the above. I did research, but it was only one or two levels removed from google and Wikipedia. So do you think I’ve got the concept of original sin, or do I still need to learn more?
Would God prefer someone who is ever faithful, but who only does good things because he is afraid of eternal damnation?
Or would he prefer some who does good acts and betters the world, but does not worship or even believe in him?
I’m not the first person to ask this, but it amazes me how many people get thrown off when I bring this up to them. Usually it is Christians that get thrown, because one of the main tenets of their religion is to seek forgiveness from Christ. As long as one seeks Christs forgiveness, no matter how late in life or how heinous their actions, they will be forgiven.
They always seem to glance over the other part of that: if you are a good person and you do nothing but good in your life, but never seek forgiveness from Christ, your soul is hell-bound.
Thus, the do good things and seek to do Christ’s work because they don’t want to go to hell.
I this that is disgusting. I hate the idea of original sin, especially when it is implied that people are wrong, awful, and need to be saved.
I find the idea of a god who does this to people, and then wants them to worship him to keep him from harming them.
I don’t believe that any god worth believing in would need someone like me to believe in him. Further more, a god worth believing in would never punish someone who doesn’t believe in him, solely for that lack of belief.
Now, the idea of an all forgiving and loving god does not bother me. In fact, it gives me comfort. Two of my best friends believe in such a god, and I have large amounts of respect for them, and they for me. If more people truly believed in God like they do, I think the world would be a better place.
Because an all loving god wouldn’t care what you do in his name. He wouldn’t care that you prayed to him day and night. He would only care about the good you tried to bring to the world.
Now, why do I stay an agnostic atheist? Marcus Aurelius put it best:
Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.
I’m not saying that you can’t live a good life if you are religious. There is plenty of evidence to prove you can. But doing good, to be good, is what everyone should strive for. Were I God, I would prefer someone who has pure motivations for being nice, not the ulterior motives of heavenly reward or eternal damnation.
In an earlier blog post, I talked about how I might try being the Albert Einstein of blogging. I posted a piece of advice Teller gave Brian Brushwood that changed his life. I talked about one part of the advice, and I’d like to cover another part of it.
To quote the book:
“I should be a film editor. I’m a magician. And if I’m good, it’s because I should be a film editor. Bach should have written opera or plays. But instead, he worked in eighteenth-century counterpoint. That’s why his counterpoints have so much more point that others. They have passion and plot. Shakespeare, on the other hand, should have been a musician, writing counterpoint. That’s why his plays stand out from the others through their plot and music.”
I love games. Video games, board games, role-playing games, card games, games, games, games. My favorite kinds are turn based strategy games and role-playing type games. I love the interplay of the rules, and the rich and deep stories. I will dig into the lore of a great fantasy world like Dark Souls, or a Sci-Fi universe like Mass Effect. I love creating a character with desires, drives, quirks and questions, that pull a game along.
I also, much to other people’s chagrin, love to poke holes, abuse rules, and optimize my characters and games as much as I can. I will find the interplay of skills, ask the annoying questions, and overall try to take your plans and throw them out the window.
I’m not a munchkin by any means, but I will play around with the rules a lot. My favorite character I mad was in a wild west setting. I made a bounty hunter who fought with a lasso and took people in alive. The other smallish detail… he was bullet proof. It was legal by the rules, and made for one hell of a game.
But I am getting off topic. Why do I bring all this up?
Because as I was trying to figure out the plot and world for the book I’m writing, I noticed I had an easier time when I created characters via a character sheet, the magic as a magic system, and scenes as campaign events. If I start to picture my novel as a game and write it that way, the plot flows easier. It also stays much more consistent. I no longer have to wonder what my character can do with his magic. I already know what his powers do, what he would need to do to learn more, and how the laws of the world works. That way if I get to a moment and think,”How will he get out of this one?” I can do it without any trouble.
I get to design my own universe, with its own rules and own logic. At another level, since I want to write something more urban fantasy style, I get to change and redesign this one. I don’t have a god complex, but it is fun.
I get to create my own game system via my writing. I get to live out one of my dreams of designing games. Maybe not in the way i wanted. But I’ll take it. 🙂
Tell us about something you (or a person close to you) have done recently (or not so recently) that has made you really, unabashedly proud.
I don’t really brag enough.I would like to say that it is because I’m modest, but that isn’t it. I actually struggle with my self esteem. It is very hard for me to see the good in my self, even when everyone around me tells me its there. It is something that I have dealt with my whole life.Or, I only used to feel that way.
I don’t know when it happened, but one day I woke up and when I looked in the mirror, I saw the face of a guy I liked staring back at me. A not half bad looking guy with great hair and a great smile. I see the guy that people were telling me about, and I like him too.
When the hell did it happen? I have no idea. I was dealing with all the same problems, all the same issues, and I haven’t really felt like I made progress. In fact, I have recently felt beat down and drained towards all of it, and almost felt like giving up. I’ve felt stagnant, unchanging, and unsure on what to do.
But apparently, through all of that struggle, I did gain something.
Now one is first, that is easy to see.
But don’t forget, that two is here as well,
And it, of course, is then followed by three
The next would be four, if you could not tell.
The one that comes after would be the five.
Then six goes by with but a furtive glance.
Trumpets blow loud, to have seven arrive.
For it grants people luck in games of chance.
Eight comes along, an infinity stands.
And three time three equals nine, don’t you know?
Ten comes along with two digit demands.
The first ten down, only fifty to go.
In getting this far, I am just like most
But I will do fine, not trying to boast.
Now, we start up again with eleven.
Then, a dozen, which is what twelve is called.
Make it thirteen, it’s a baker’s heaven.
Although, when some hear it, may be appalled
Fortnight, or fourteen, at least in Britain
Fifteen and sixteen, a young girl’s delight.
Seventeen, Eighteen, to be young again.
But Nineteen and Twenty; they are alright.
Twenty-one, full of inebriation
Twenty-two, responsibility looms.
Twenty-three, the years since my creation
Twenty-four, and maturity now booms.
My, now doesn’t your youth fly by so fast?
What once was the present, is now the past.
Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven.
Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, now those are done.
Thirty is here, your twenties were heaven.
Before you know it, you are thirty-one.
Thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four go.
Thirty-five, thirty-six, come up so fast.
Thirty-seven, thirty-eight, make a show.
Thirty-nine, forty, here at last.
Forty one, forty-two, what do I do?
With forty-three, forty-four, forty-five.
Forty-six, forty-seven, almost through.
Forty-eight, forty-nine, oh man alive!
Fifty and fifty-one, I’ve had enough!
This writing in sonnet is really tough.
Fifty-two here, not a moment too soon
Fifty-three too, which brings me great delight.
Fifty-four now, I feel like such a loon.
Fifty-five, why would I take on this plight?
Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight.
We are nearly done, for here’s fifty-nine.
Sixty is here, and that makes me feel great.
Because reaching the ending feels divine.
Now, some may say, but what about zero?
How can you forget our circular friend?
But fret not, for your awaited hero
Decided to show up right at the end.
We now are finished, that’s enough of that.
Zero to sixty in four sonnets flat.
You just inherited $1,000,000 from an aunt you didn’t even know existed. What’s the first thing you buy (or otherwise use the money for)?
First thing?
I would invest/save it and use the interest to buy things/pay debts/etc.
Yes, I know that is a boring answer. But I haven’t really ever desired to have tons of money and “nice” things. I’ve always wanted enough to live comfortably and simply.
Plus, one million dollars can’t actually buy as much as you would think. That is a very nice house and car with a couple hundred thousand left over after taxes. With a cheaper car and such it can go farther, but if you just chip away at the resource, eventually it will run out.
But, say I threw it in a five year certificate (which is the absolutely simplest way to save it, not the best one. I’d go see a planner), and had the interest on it go into my savings. At 2%, that would be $20,000 a year in interest. Sure, that’s not very much after taxes, but since I only make around $16,000 a year after taxes at the moment, that doubles my income. That would certainly me my life easier.
I could look for a job I really want without being afraid of lacking an income. Or I could work less hours at the one I have now, giving me more time to focus on my writing and music. I could also keep working the same amount, but buy a house, a car, fancy clothes, new guitars, video games….
But as I said, I don’t care for shiny things. So, in that case, what would I do with the money?
Assuming I’d gotten my self handled, I would help people with it.
First, I would help friends and family.
I would help my friends go back to school, so they could finish/get the degrees they want, but can’t afford.
I’d take some of the burden off of my mom and cover some of her house payment and other debts.
I would definitely save some money for my daughter’s schooling.
If I somehow handled all of my family and friends with money to spare, I would start trying to help others.
Maybe I would donate some to causes I find important, like father’s rights, or the homeless. But I haven’t really thought that far before, since I’ve never really had enough money and influence to think about effecting the world at large. So I guess that part I will deal with when it happens.
My basic point being, that although money can by possessions and a fancy life style, that isn’t going to matter in the end. When you are back to being broke you aren’t going to really want your super expensive Lamborghini and Armani suits.
But friends, family, and memories: these things sustain us, comfort us in our last days, fill us with happiness and love, and make life worth living.
Seems like they would be worth investing in, right?
-Shaman
P.S: What do you guys think? Comment below or link me your responses so I can check them out.
Shame on The Universe 