Critical Thinking: Does Someone Need To 'Be The Change' That They Want To See In The World?

Unless someone has been living under a rock or in the middle of nowhere and had no connection with the outside world for a number of years, they will have probably noticed that there are a lot of people that want to change the world. Or to be more exact, they will be aware that there are a lot of people that are trying to change the world.

Therefore, in addition to calling this the ‘information age’ and the ‘instant gratification age’, for instance, it could be called the ‘social justice age’. What has made this easier than ever before is the internet.

Two Ways

In the past, someone would have typically had to go out into the world in order to have an effect on the world. Nowadays, this is something that can take place from the comfort of their home.

The only thing that they need is some kind of device, and through being connected to the internet, they can have an impact. This can take place by making or sharing a video another person has made and by writing an article or sharing an article that another person has written.

Another Option

Something else that they can do is to sign a petition online and then to share it with others. Once a certain amount of people have done this, the form will end up being reviewed by the people at the top.

Thanks to these options, as well as others, an individual can have a massive effect on the world. It would be hard for their ancestors to imagine having the amount of influence that they themselves have.

The Old Way

If someone wants to take things further, one thing that they can do is to take part in a demonstration. They, alongside a number of their fellow human beings, will then be highlighting an issue and looking for something, or a number of things, to change.

Instead of doing this every now and then, though, this could simply be a normal part of their life. If so, one could describe themselves as an activist, with them being committed to making the world a better place.

Unbalanced

Changing what is going on ‘out there’ could be seen as the only way for them to change the world. Having this outlook will be a normal part of living in a society that is hyper-focused on the external world and is very masculine.

There will then be no reason for them to take a closer look at what is going on internally and to see what effect their inner world is having on their external world. Also, embracing their feminine aspect and changing the world through being, not just doing is unlikely to enter their mind.

The Only Thing That Matters

If they were to hear that they could change the world through being, and not just doing, they could struggle to understand how this could be so. What will also play a part in this reaction is that they are likely to see themselves as being separate from everyone and everything.

Consequently, not ‘doing’ anything and just ‘being’ is not going to allow them to change the world. This will just be a waste of time and prevent them from doing what they need to do to make the world a better place.

For Example

If they were to take a step back and to reflect on what they want to change, they could think about the violence, hate and the lack of love in the world. To change this, it will be essential for them to go out there and to do something about it.

Although this will be their intention, they could spend a lot of time feeling angry, hateful and be devoid of love. As a result, one will often embody the very things that they want to change in the world.

Another Element

Not only this, but due to their need to change what is going on ‘out there’, they will often be coming from a place of resistance. Now, if one was actually separate from everyone and everything and their inner world had no effect on their outer world, how they are living their life wouldn’t be an issue.

However, as they are not merely an observer of what is going on ‘out there’ and are actively having an effect, living in this way is going to make it harder for them to have a positive effect on the world. For this to change, they will need to make sure that their inner world is in alignment with what they want to experience in their outer world.

In Balance

In other words, if one wants the world to be more loving, for instance, they will need to be a living example of this. Through doing their best to embody what they want to see in the world, they will be supporting this reality.

If they wanted the world to be more loving but largely acted in a very unloving way, they would be an example of the very thing that they want to change. One would be resisting what they don’t want and this would cause it to persist and to even grow.

The Being and the Doing

Considering the fact that one is not just a passive observer of their reality and what is taking place inside them is having an impact on their outer world, it illustrates that there are two things involved when it comes to changing the world. Firstly, one will need to be in the right place internally, and secondly, they will need to do the right things externally.

If they only focus on the latter but ignore the former, they could end up doing more harm than good. They could tell themselves that they are doing the right thing and the people in their life could agree, yet their thoughts, feelings, beliefs could be feeding into and sustaining the very reality that they want to change.

Final Thoughts

Naturally, trying to change what is going on ‘out there’ is far more appealing than going within, healing inner wounds and being an example of the change that one wants to see in the world. Focusing on what is going on externally can allow one to feel good, receive a fair amount of approval and to feel morally superior to others.
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On the other hand, going within and working through the inner wounds that will allow them to embody the very thing that they want to see more of in the world will be painful, and they are unlikely to receive a lot of approval from others. But, if one actually wants to change the world and is not simply trying to avoid themselves, they will be willing to deal with their own baggage.

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk