What's it like to know that you're significant?

[Popcorn Sutton]

I'd like to hear people's stories.

[Ophiolite]

Satisfying.

 

Everyone is significant. Some people, however, are unaware of this.

[Popcorn Sutton]

I find it satisfying as well, but I have to admit that I am far from satisfied at the moment (financially speaking).

[Bill Angel]

Can one make an objective assessment of one's significance? Two weeks ago I was summoned for jury duty, and sat as a juror in a minor criminal case. Jury verdicts need to be unanimous, and we. voted to acquit the defendant on all charges. But if any of us had chosen to do so, and there were 12 people on the jury, he or she could have deadlocked the jury and nullified the value of the trial proceedings. So for several hours, until the trial proceedings were concluded, my participation in society (along with that of the other jurors) was significant.

[Phi for All]

I find it satisfying as well, but I have to admit that I am far from satisfied at the moment (financially speaking).

 

So is this the actual topic you wanted to talk about? First reply and you jump away from the significance to talk about money?

 

Surely you're not conflating wealth with significance?

[StringJunky]

Satisfying.

 

Everyone is significant. Some people, however, are unaware of this.

Then have you have never been in the Total Perspective Vortex

[CaptainPanic]

I am locally significant, globally mostly harmless, galactically insignificant and universally liked.

 

What's it like? Oh, you get used to it... The notion of my significance has become a rather insignificant part of my consciousness.

[Dekan]

All people are significant, but some people are more significant than others.

[Popcorn Sutton]

I don't correlate significance with money per se, but I do think that people who are known to be significant get paid well. If being paid well correlates with significance then I am extremely insignificant.

 

How significant are you Phi? I'd assume that you're pretty significant.

[Phi for All]

I don't correlate significance with money per se, but I do think that people who are known to be significant get paid well. If being paid well correlates with significance then I am extremely insignificant.

 

How significant are you Phi? I'd assume that you're pretty significant.

 

I'm the most self-significant person I'm aware of.

 

I'm happy with my sphere of significance. It extends just far enough outside my circle of friends and family to support my credibility so I can make a good living selling things. Nobody I haven't met yet seems worth trying to increase my significance to include them.

 

This summer I was reading about that guy in South America who came up with a cheap way to light homes during the day in poor countries. He didn't get rich off his idea (a 2 liter bottle with some water and bleach and a plastic film canister poked through the roof diffracts the light from the sun), but he helped millions of people with this invention and I think that's significant.

[Popcorn Sutton]

I am seriously not good at selling stuff. I haven't even had a single day trying it out.

 

I guess that your analogy makes me feel a little more significant though.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Popcorn Sutton

[Phi for All]

I am seriously not good at selling stuff. I haven't even had a single day trying it out.

"I've never tried it but I know I suck at it" is an insignificant position to take on anything. If you've never tried something, it's normal to approach it with some trepidation, but assuming you'll fail before you start is NOT normal or beneficial.

 

I guess that your analogy makes me feel a little more significant though.

Surprise! My example didn't make you feel anything, YOU did that on your own. You made a little block of self-esteem and placed it where it could be built upon. This gives you the confidence to build more, and before you know it, you're able to look back and realize you always were significant, and now you have the confidence that makes others realize they need to listen when you're talking, good things/smart things/interesting things happen when you're around. Significance is partly you acknowledging that you're a vital part of the life around you, and partly others realizing the same.

[iNow]

Do you choose to drown in the insignificance, or choose to drawn in awe? Perhaps use the awe as therapy.

 

Perspective (with super cool links in the resources):

 

[Popcorn Sutton]

"I've never tried it but I know I suck at it" is an insignificant position to take on anything. If you've never tried something, it's normal to approach it with some trepidation, but assuming you'll fail before you start is NOT normal or beneficial.

 

 

Surprise! My example didn't make you feel anything, YOU did that on your own. You made a little block of self-esteem and placed it where it could be built upon. This gives you the confidence to build more, and before you know it, you're able to look back and realize you always were significant, and now you have the confidence that makes others realize they need to listen when you're talking, good things/smart things/interesting things happen when you're around. Significance is partly you acknowledging that you're a vital part of the life around you, and partly others realizing the same.

Thank you for taking the time to write that message. I don't know if it was specifically meant for me, but I do like to entertain the thought. I might be getting into some very important work soon and doing something that will seriously benefit mankind. I have mixed feelings about it, but I'm sure that it is something that people will grow to rely on and I don't think that I can pass it up. I don't know if I should even talk about it, so I really haven't, not even with my closest friends and family.

[Popcorn Sutton]

Do you choose to drown in the insignificance, or choose to drawn in awe? Perhaps use the awe as therapy.

 

Perspective (with super cool links in the resources):

 

 

I enjoyed that video btw. When I look at the universe, I feel infinitesimally small, but when I look at 6.5 billion peoples lives, I feel like I played a significant part up to this point. My dream world is far from here, however.