Ask HN: Do you Rally want to "Change the World"? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Do you Rally want to "Change the World"?

2 pointsArdit204 comments

I often read comments suggesting that a certain thing, although might be making a lot of money, is not adding any value, hence the commenter does not want to have anything to do with it. This is also related to some commenter's who suggest that building a business allows someone to 'change the world' or contribute to it's advancement, even if in a small, almost unnoticeable way.

I was just wondering whether such 'ideals', noble as they are, are really a motivator, to such extent that one ignores say easier way to making money but without adding value, such as some bankers for example.

Does this altruism, this selflessness really come before the selfish interests and perhaps 'greed' of actually making money, whatever way - legally of course?

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'rally' ? :)

That's a very tough question, to which I'm afraid there are no valid short answers, unless they're in the negative.

Everybody that wants to change 'the world' has a different definition of 'world'. For some it means their personal environment, for some it means those below the poverty line. Almost always there is some 'demographic' limitation to what the world really means.

I think plenty of people genuinely want to improve the world, but because they realize their limitations they're forced to scale down their ambitions a bit and then they do their best within that framework.

And some get lucky and make a bundle, then spend it to materially improve the lives of as many others as they can manage. But that's rare.

For some people who made a lot of money in not-so-nice ways doing good is a way of atoning, or even PR. For others it is what comes most natural to them. Altruism doesn't have to come in competition with greed, it can come after it, or before, gathering money as a tool. There are all kids of scenarios here.

Over the years I've found that my teen-age idealism ("change the world for good on a large scale") has bit by bit been whittled away by reality. Right now I'd settle for my definition of 'world' to be those people that I'm in daily contact with.

And yes, I really do want to do that, but I'm not sure if I will succeed, for any definition of world.

But I'll keep trying :)

'rally' ? :)

oops. It seems that I am unable to actually edit it!

Do I really want to change the world? Yes, I would rather make some improvement in my community and ideally the whole world than make maximum personal income and leave the world just as it now is.

money here

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