Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don’t mean to do harm, but the harm [that they cause] does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.

Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don’t mean to do harm, but the harm [that they cause] does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.

TS ELIOT

How much damage do you do in the course of trying to make yourself look important to others?

We might at first feel as if we are impervious to these circumstances, but as we drill down and recognize the effort we go through to work out and make our bodies look good, and then we contemplate the clothing that we wear and consider where the clothing was made, and what consequences to the environment that might have caused as a direct result, plus our modes of transportation, any personal personal hygiene products that we use, the food that we purchase, the travel we pursue… we are left with the unavoidable reality that our continued lifestyle is impacting the planet in countless ways.

Are we doing all of this just to feel important?

When one of these items such as a hairstyling or purchase of a new vehicle is activated in our world, do we get an elevated sense of importance that resonates through us like like an espresso shot of confidence?

We may not be as aware of the societal presence in our decision-making processes, but they are very much there in our subsconscious supervision of these choices.

The continuous sense of society that we carry within us, must inevitably be one of the landmark criteria upon which a majority of our determinations are either made or most certainly influenced.

Why is it so necessary to feel important? Are we trying our hardest to traverse the most challenging times by trying to find our own brand of authenticity?

Is this necessity driven by a continuous desire to continually reaffirm that we are an important component in the society of which we take part?

The need to differentiate oneself in a large society, stems in part from ego and in part from our role in the animal kingdom, which differentiates class strata with mating rights, eating privileges, shelter privileges, and so on.

I believe that it is very important for us to clearly find our basis of understanding of this variable and to keep it near top of mind when we evaluate certain decisions that we are willing to make over the course of a lifetime.

Happy Monday!