Last Monday night, I was thinking how disappointing humans are as a species (eg, proxy World War III), while having my talk to God. A curious thought then entered my mind: “a few make a difference“. After careful consideration, it could refer to anything (eg, animals, clouds, flowers, humans, insects, mountains, trees).
A Google search revealed many quotes about making a difference (eg, in life). From our perspective, “making a difference” may relate to (i) our legacy, (ii) maximising our talents, and/or (iii) excelling in what we do. Essentially, it’s about our (eternal) search for meaning / purpose in life.
From another perspective, “making a difference” is often about beauty and is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is about how we perceive and appreciate balance & symmetry in nature and in life. Examples: I was struck by the beauty of the giant trees in Redwood National Park. I used to hate insects but adore coccinellidae. I love Mount Kilimanjaro.
Perhaps, one cannot appreciate anything without something sticking out. A few make a difference.
There are some eight billion people and/but we only have a few friendships in life. There are probably even more songs than people (eg, Quora) but we may only love some twenty to a hundred songs. There are many billions of bacteria & viruses but only a few may kill us. A few make a difference.
There may be an infinite string of numbers but only some seem important (eg, Pi, prime). The Universe might be infinite but the number of habitable planets with advanced life is only one – as far as we know today. A few make a difference.
After writing this blog, the word curious in the first paragraph seems misplaced. Clearly, my thought was not random. I’m glad I made a note of it, right before my sleep. Usually, such pre-sleep thoughts have a profound meaning.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
A quote by Leo Rosten though usually misattributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson
Magnificent (she says) – 2016 – by Elbow
artists, lyrics, video, Wiki-band, Wiki-song
[Pre-Chorus]
And there she stands
Throwing both her arms around the world
The world that doesn’t even know
How much it needs this little girl
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.
Everyone wants to be happy. Few people know that you can achieve happiness on your own. If you do a good deed (you are useful to a friend, etc.) you are happy, ! People should be empathetic, helpful, expecting nothing in return ..