“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde
It seems like it has been a rough week, and while I was out with some friends tonight, one of my friends despaired at how there is so much wrong with the world and how depressing that is. And they marveled at how I wasn’t in a deep depression, given what I’m studying.
It’s something I think about a lot, actually. Why shouldn’t I just give up? Why struggle and fight? What’s the point, because I’m not going to eradicate poverty or inequality? I won’t gain anything from it. I don’t believe in god, so it’s not as if I think that doing good deeds will guarantee me entrance at the pearly gates. I don’t even know if I’ll have children or not. So why bother?
Because I believe in humanity. I believe in our ability to overcome great obstacles, and to work together to accomplish great things. I believe that while I may not see significant progress during my lifetime, I am nonetheless playing a critical (even if small) role in laying the groundwork for the future.
The great things accomplished tomorrow will only be done so because of the things done by great people today.
History will be my judge, and that is what motivates me. I have hope for the future, and so I have hope today. As cynical as I can be sometimes, I remember this and I refuse to give up.
