I’m not trying to change the world

I have been busy doing stuff offline in the last few weeks. They include: graduating from university , moving back home to Toronto from Waterloo, saying goodbye to my parents since I won’t see them again until August, driving my brother to and from school everyday, meeting old and new friends and having too much coffee, and…. reading for pleasure!

This last term has definitely been the best term in my entire university life. The things I learned and the people I met have really pushed me down the path I will be embarking on from this moment on. As I was reflecting and trying to let everything sink in, the more and more I realize how much my thinking has been shifted after reading the Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire .

I had to read that book for the Beyond Borders class, wrote an essay exam on it over the Christmas break, and have written several blog entries related to the book over the last term while volunteering at The Working Centre. Yet, I feel it has impacted me much further that I have become a lot more conscious when using phrases such as “helping poor people”, “inspiring others” or “changing the world”. I noticed how I was getting more and more unwilling to say/write those words and uncomfortable with the idea that we seem to unconsciously put ourselves in a “better class” than others sometimes.

I don’t feel that I’m going out there to “help the poor people”. I just want to be together with them, allow us to understand and learn from each other, and build real human connections. I don’t feel that I’m doing what I’m doing to “inspire others”. I just want people to know that if I, as one person, with no special talents nor 72 hours a day, could potentially make a difference in both a good or bad way through every action that I take, everyone could. Finally, I don’t feel that I’m trying to “change the world”. “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” I simply think it’s a duty of care , an obligation, a responsibility.

I’m idealistic? Maybe. But I don’t think I am. We’re faced with a lot of pressing societal issues today, but the thing is, there has been issues since the dawn of time. We’re not the first generation having to deal with problems of the world. Plus, everything is a cycle – we solve climate change now, another problem will already be waiting for us. But that’s the nature. As much as selfishness and greed are part of human nature, so are selflessness and sympathy. We need to take care of one another.

So instead of thinking how we can or can’t change the world, I am choosing to focus on making sure my everyday actions reflect conscious care, leaving the world a little better than it was yesterday and life a little easier for people that I love. Nothing extraordinary, just that. Simple, no?

Tagged as: Social Change

Ruby Ku

Matt - "We have more power and influence than we typically give ourselves credit for." It's true - and it can go both ways. We set ourselves up to be both good or bad influence. It's all about the choice that we make.

Akhila - you're right on and knew exactly where I was coming from. Have you also read Pedagogy of the Oppressed? Because you sounded just like Freire for a second there ;) And you're right - the biggest mistake one can make for working in the development field is to reinforce that gap. I absolutely cannot wait to hear about your experience working with IBJ this summer.

Sam - thanks for the kind words. Sometimes I think we forget the simplest and most obvious things in life. I feel that taking care of each other is almost what life is all about. Things like "career development" is being blown out of proportion at times and people forget the true meaning of life.

Renjie - Love the story! Thanks for sharing. Now I have one more book to read on the already very long list. I guess this goes back to 'Getting to Maybe', about how we can't look at the system from outside, we are part of the system. When we change ourselves the whole system does follow, somehow :)

Alex - thanks for subscribing and I also love your blog. very informing & thought-provoking. Being a leader in the social change sector is harder than being a leader in the business world - the power is diffuse and it really boils down to basic humanity. It's a tough question - looking forward to more discussions with you!
alexlobov

Great post Ruby,

However, there's nothing wrong with trying to change the world. Not everybody pays the "rent for their room on Earth" as you put it, I wish everyone did. That's why we need people to stand up and be leaders and influence everyone else to think of others, not just themselves and those in their immediate circle.

I love your blog btw,

Added to reader and will be following it :)
Renjie Butalid

You certainly inspire me Ruby! :)

Thanks for this post. I agree with Akhila that you've certainly reminded us that it is important to be humble in our approach, whether it is doing international development abroad, or volunteering for a community organization in your own backyard.

Reminds me of a story that I read in Adam Kahane's book, 'Solving Tough Problems', a couple of months ago. It goes like this:

There is a story about a man who wanted to change the world. He tried as hard as he could, but really did not accomplish anything. So he thought that instead he should just try to change his country, but he had no success with that either. Then he tried to change his city and then his neighbourhood, still unsuccessfully. Then he thought that he could at least change his family, but failed again.

So he decided to change himself.

Then a surprising thing happened. As he changed himself his, family changed too. And as his family changed, his neighbourhood changed, his city changed. As his city changed, his country changed, and as his country changed, the world changed.
Sam

This is such an inspiring and insightful outlook! I know you're not trying to be inspirational, but that's part of what makes you that way. You are totally right that we need to take care of each other, and that we don't need to try to change the world, but we can do something nice for someone else every day and it will make a big difference. Great post!
Akhila

This is a great post Ruby, and thanks for writing it! It's important to acknowledge that when we are saying things like "helping poor people" or "inspiring others," we are actually putting ourselves in a category above poor people and separating ourselves from them. The thing is, it just reinforces the exploitative traditional notions that they are the "oppressed" and can't do anything to save themselves, and that we have to help them. It reinforces that separation between "us" and makes them "the other." This is a great observation and I think anyone going into this line of work has to understand this.

The thing is, I fall into this trap too, and I often say I want to inspire people to do good, etc. Thanks for this post because it has reminded me to be more careful. I need to be more humble and realize that I'm not going to change the world, and it is somewhat presumptuous of me to say I want to inspire people. Instead it's important for me to go out there with a lot of humility, wanting to learn from others and just be a good person, living a life where I try my hardest to contribute back to the world and "pay my rent" as you say. So true. I think you highlighted the importance of humility when you're going into work like international development. Thanks for the eye opening post!
Matthew

Yes. Yes. Yes. Ruby this spot on. I share these sentiments 100% - you and I CAN'T change the world - one person cannot take on such a monumental task. But we can change ourselves, the way we think, the things we do. What we can do is ignite a spark that can spread like wildfire. We have more power and influence than we typically give ourselves credit for. It starts with you and me, it starts with changing for yourself. The world doesn't need our help, we need to help ourselves and help each other.

You have the right mindset - and if everyone out there thought the same way you do, the world would be a much better place.

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