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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
To change the world, you have to first change yourself Printable Version PRINTABLE VERSION
by Cat, Vietnam May 7, 2007
Culture   Opinions
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I remember that I have had the ambition of being at Princeton, and of standing at the highest position.

Things changed; and yes, I still want to get into Princeton, but for a slightly different purpose.

I think about him - my beloved MITer - and his actions and motivation are no longer inexplicable to me. That was since I realized that although he doesn't need quantum physics or advanced calculus to change the world, he'll probably needs a PhD degree to have the means to make a sustainable difference.

So, once his reasoning is clear to me, it has also proven to be a better motivation for my current and future efforts. But I'm very aware of the difference between thinking of changing the world and actually doing it. I know that to want to change the world is not saying " I want to change the world", and to change the world is not claiming " I will change the world".

So, what have I learned? Everybody knows about "I have a dream" and what it means, but how many people actually know how it feels like? Just two hours ago, I ran into a poster with the familiar face of Martin Luther King, with his familiar and well-known statement.

I have a dream.

So, what had I realized, you asked? I had realized what my beloved MITer had done one year before I did: that when you want to change the world not because you want to be somebody who changes the world, but because you want the world to be changed, maybe one day you can really do it.

That's why I said his struggles and efforts were inexplicable to me. I used to feel like I was wasting my time and my mind in high school, dealing with stuffs I would never use and running after the college rat race. For me, once I have realized what it means to want to dedicate myself for making a positive difference, I no longer need or want any credit, reputation, luxuriant comforts, whatsoever. But time has taught me something.

Think about Kurtz in Heart of Darkness. He was someone who refused to be in the system, but wanted to influence the system. And we, what do we mean by "making a difference" ? Isn't a part of it to give people the education and knowledge they require so that they can function in the system? Isn't it all about getting them into the system? Well, it seems like we have to be in the system ourselves.

But the system is not to be blamed. It's needed. People criticized the system, but didn't think of the chaos without it. The aim is not to abominate the system, but to create a better one.

It's not that I don't know that the world is unfair. On the contrary, I know it very well. When the Mexican guy told me it was unfair that I had the music room key and thus I could play the piano anytime while the others couldn't, I laughed. Though i didn't say it to him, I thought : since when has "it" been fair? And furthermore, since when has the world been fair for those who only complain but do nothing for the fairness? One thing he'll never know, that's how it took me two weeks going after Ken to persuade him that I can hold the responsibility of having the key. One more thing he won't know, that's all the responsibilities to be in charge of the piano and keyboards. He who comes 5 minutes before his performance and says goodbye 5 minutes after the performance doesn't know what goes on behind the stage. He who takes things for granted doesn't know the difficulties of setting things up. it doesn't mean that I meant to be unfair to him. Although the world is, in some aspects, unfair to me, I'm well aware that it's more unfair to them - the majority of the population who don't have what I do because of the also unfair random probability. That the world is unfair, however, doesn't mean that I should be as well. On the contrary, it's exactly the reason why I should act fairly.

I remember a picture from "the journey to the heart of darkness" , in which the UN ran away after leaving the people in Sudan a nice drafted resolution on their situation. People laughed bitterly, and I was among them. But just some hours later, I found myself filling the UN youth volunteer form. I thought about it, and it became clear to me that the same principle applied: that the UN is not functioning efficiently as it should be is exactly why I should support and lend a hand to improve it. What's the point of criticizing if it doesn't bring about any change?

So, in a recent English class, Melody said: "Although UWC hasn't lived up to my expectation, I will lie about it, because it's the vision which I want to retain." It really touched me , indeed. I recognized that it was exactly what I have been acting according to, even though I couldn't express it in words like her.

Coming back to the Mexican guy. He once told me how he thought the music room should be always left open , and how that would be an act of trust in the community. He gave an example of how his roommate stole his money, and said it didn't mean that he should keep his money from him. He called it trust; I called it naive. He didn't learn enough; school didn't teach him what he needs to know. Arrogance, complacence, hostility, self-centered, egoism... all are also different kind of naive.





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Cat


-We're innocently standing by
Watching people loosing lives
It seem as if we have no voice
It's time for us to make a choice

Only god could decide
Who will live and who will die

There's nothing that can't be done
If we raise our voice as one-

Michael Jackson, "We've had enough"
Comments


changing the world
Josephine Danuor | May 9th, 2007
I really appreciate this writing that changing the world we have to change first. Changing firat also talks in terms of attidude. How we bave towards our fellow beings. Changing the world without love can never be a better place especially where politicians fight for power ending up in a whole lot of conflicts.I strongly believe that acting fairly to one another would bring a lot of change to the world though the world is unfair.We can all make our dreams come true if we know where we are heading.



Attitude is important
Hong-Anh Nguyen | Nov 15th, 2007
You own very good perspectives, especially at your age. Keep going. I hope you will discover your vision for life. Cheers.

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