During my intro to philosophy class a few years ago, the professor said one of the most profound and life-changing statements I have ever heard in my life: "You will never change the world. In a hundred years, no one will even remember your name. And that's ok."
I think most people would feel discouraged if they heard such a phrase. The thought of anonymity, of dying without making a name for yourself, is depressing at face value. After all, the world we live in is definitely worth changing, and our generation in particular seems concerned with social change and the betterment of the world around us. We want rights for all people so we join protests and rally against "the man." We want to protect the environment so we become vegetarians or go green. We want to prove that we are politically savvy, so we write blogs and Facebook posts about our opinions on government issues. And yet, the truth that we often overlook or simply choose to ignore is that, for most of us, none of these efforts will amount to anything. One more protest sign, one more recycled water bottle, one more Facebook post, in the grand scheme of things amounts to nothing. Zero. You will most likely live and die without making one iota of difference to the fate of the planet. And that's ok. In fact, that's more than ok. If you're like me, this news is probably the most comforting you will hear all week.
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Let me explain what I mean. In our society, change is everything, and big change is always personified by individuals. The President, MLK, Superman; all three are individuals known for their influence on the world. They have/had power and the ability to change life as we know it, and for that reason they are idolized and respected. But they are the outliers in a big ocean of nobodies, such as you and me. By birth, by hard work, or by the providence of the right circumstances happening at the right time, their names and accomplishments will never be forgotten. But our names most likely will fade from memory within four generations of our death. Think about it, do you know the names of all eight of your great-grandparents? My guess is no, because I sure don't. The world, if it even knows of our existence at all, won't miss us when we're gone. Because normal people have no power or prestige, just the life they were given. Again, this is ok.
For me, the idea that I will never be remembered, that my name means nothing to the world, is comforting because it means the pressure is off. My most embarrassing moment, my darkest day, my transgressions, will never be remembered. The media will never tear me apart in interviews or question and debate my convictions until they are unrecognizable. I don't have to worry about whether my life matches the standards of everyone else, because in a few years everyone else will be gone too. Life without the pressure to change the world becomes beautifully simple and opens up a world of possibilities. Should I go for this job interview? In the long run it won't matter anyway, so why not? Should I tell this person that I love them? In a few years no one will even remember my name, so absolutely. Living a life without the pressure of being significant allows you to take risks, dream outrageous dreams, and treasure life in a whole new way.
Now this doesn't mean that we disregard life altogether. Because even though we aren't responsible to the world, we are still responsible to other people. Our own personal worlds are where we are important and matter and where we can affect change. A word said in friendship could go on to change the lives of many other people. A simple donation could be enough to influence big change in your community. Sure, your name will never end up in the history books and you'll never be idolized or put on a pedestal. But in the smallness of our own lives, our actions can have a big impact. Not earth-shattering impact, but sweet and simple impact, change that is still good even if it isn't attributed to you. So while we may not matter to the world as a whole, we do matter to the small world we are a part of, and that is important. People might forget our names, but the subtle influence of our good actions can be enough to keep the world going and changing for the better. And that's ok.
