It's all one can do.
July 7, 2010 11:05 PM Subscribe
A few months ago, a commentor on some thread I can't remember commented that a professor or mentor he had had, said that if a person could see one thing about the real world and leave a good enough description of it for others to see it too, that was about all you could expect to do with a life. Does anyone remember that?
This post was deleted for the following reason: Not going well. Also probably belongs in Metatalk. -- vacapinta
Response by poster: Not just for someone to actually see, more like understanding something real about the world, and expressing it in some way, words or art or music or whatever, such that someone who came across whatever you left later could be led to that understanding too. I'm real vague in remembering it, but it seemed a very powerful statement to me and I would like to find it. I think it was within the last 4 or 5 months. Thanks for the reply. I saw that story about the female gladiator, too.
posted by carping demon at 11:50 PM on July 7, 2010
posted by carping demon at 11:50 PM on July 7, 2010
I understand, but unless you are a genius for the ages like Leonardo, Michelangelo, Mozart, Joyce, Hemingway, Poe, Melville, etc..what are your options? Just try and do something and "hope it sticks". A lot of these people died broke and destitiute, not knowing what their mark on the world would ultimately be.
Maybe it's best to be yourself, raise your kids (if you have them) the best you can, and/or help others less fortunate. In several hundred billion years, our sun will die out and no one will know anything anyway ;)
posted by jfstanley at 12:10 AM on July 8, 2010
Maybe it's best to be yourself, raise your kids (if you have them) the best you can, and/or help others less fortunate. In several hundred billion years, our sun will die out and no one will know anything anyway ;)
posted by jfstanley at 12:10 AM on July 8, 2010
If you're trying to locate the actual comment that was made here, you might want to ask on MetaTalk--people are usually pretty good at tracking down things that have been said on the site itself. Maybe check with a mod that it's okay first, though; a double post with the same question might be an etiquette problem.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 12:32 AM on July 8, 2010
posted by lapsangsouchong at 12:32 AM on July 8, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
It's a great idea, but how do you ensure that those in the future will read it?
Just read in the news today a remarkable story about a female Roman gladiator unearthed in England. Pretty unique, except will we ever know her name or her story?
posted by jfstanley at 11:32 PM on July 7, 2010