How can you change the minds of those who don't seek change?
There are a ton of books, courses, ideologies, resources (in general) that can alter the minds of people in a good way. Yet, many people don't want to engage in them. Many people don't know such resources even exist. So, how do you convince someone who doesn’t believe they need to change to actually desire change?
I've been thinking about this challenge for quite some time now.
But why want to change people in the first place?
Well, we all collectively create the world we live in. The better and nobler we all are, the better our world is. Sadly, I don't think that many people share this viewpoint. This disconnect is part of why corruption and inequality persist. People are mostly concerned with their own survival.
For instance, I can confidently throw numerous books at the masses that I know can alter their view of how our world should be. Unfortunately, sharing powerful resources often amounts to little if no one reads them. Even in formal settings like schools, if the desire to grow or contribute positively is missing, then education becomes an ineffective exercise.
Maybe the answer lies in leading by example. I can strive to be a responsible, ethical person and hope that my actions will inspire others. Yet, this approach has its limits. Plenty of compassionate people and organizations are already doing good work, but this doesn't always lead to emulation. When rent is due. When we are struggling to secure our own lives, the idea of collective good sounds distant and irrelevant.
Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic, naive - or both - to believe that a large-scale shift towards good is possible. But maybe, change doesn’t need to start with the masses. Maybe it needs to start with only a few who care deeply.
Worth reflecting on:
Who did you want to be before the world told you who to be?
As children, we dream freely. We imagine who we want to become without limits. But as we get older, those dreams often fade. They get replaced by the expectations and pressures of the world around us. As adults, it becomes acceptable to sacrifice our childhood ambitions for practicality, security, or approval.
Yet sometimes, the key to finding direction - if you feel like you've lost it - is remembering those early desires. Reconnecting with the person you once wanted to be might just help you become who you're meant to be.
Worth reading:
People Are Not Born Addicts: They Become Addicts (members only): "In my lifetime, things have changed from a period when you had money to buy things, but nothing to buy. To the current period when you don’t have a lot of money, but you have plenty to choose from. What did this parade of plenty bring?"
Worth thinking about:
"Modern man thinks he loses something—time—when he does not do things quickly. Yet he does not know what to do with the time he gains—except kill it."
― Erich Fromm
What do you think about the above? I am always excited to receive your responses.
Thank you for your time!
