A Selfish Plan to Change the World by Justin Dillon

Author:Justin Dillon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2017-04-08T16:00:00+00:00

ONE MORE CIRCUS: APPROVAL

Approval is social dopamine. It is the elation we feel from the endorphin rush that occurs when we post a picture that gets multiple hearts, likes, shares, and fist bumps. As the counter of our digital affirmations rises, so do the tiny rainbow-colored geysers of love in our souls. Alas, our elation disappears as fast as it arrived when we notice a post from a friend whose approval stats are reaching Justin Bieber levels. We obstruct our soul dreams when we rate our love-worthiness against the comforts and amusements of others. The fact that our lives are on display is not the problem. The problem is that a constant digital campaign for approval is another form of bread and circuses.

Comparing our lives with the lives of others goes back to the Roman Empire and beyond. When our focus is on others’ lives, we neglect our own stories. Know this: The blessings of comfort, amusement, and approval masquerade themselves as meaning. While each are part of what makes life enjoyable, they are poor substitutes for finding your own story, your own riot, your own soul dream, and your own contribution to a bigger narrative. I love movies and forwarded videos. I love hearts, thumbs-ups, likes, fist bumps, and flowers, but they are not my story. They are not yours either. If we want to live a full life, we have to risk a little comfort, amusement, and approval. When we do, those enjoyments come back in a form that’s far more satisfying. They come back to us as meaning.

Comfort and amusement are just a few of the obstacles that can keep us from changing the world and finding meaning for our lives. You might be surprised to learn that altruism and the idea of do-gooders are obstacles as well.

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