Our Broken World: A series of ever-changing opinions

Is it Worth it?

     We live in a world that revolves mostly around consumerism, with the high value trade of technologies and textiles, among other things. This planet is obsessed with draining resources from our earth, quickly killing it in a way none would have thought possible a mere few hundred years ago. How is it, that in this short amount of time, humanity has been teetering on the edge of sanity, still making scientific studies and breakthroughs, national trade agreements, treaties, wars, amidst all this chaos and destruction?

     All we can do now is desperately cling to hope that things will get better, and that we may help in the process. However, through the gradual wear of the impending future, these hopes are degraded dramatically as we age, making it difficult for brilliant minds to fix the problems that so desperately need amending. What does it mean when a child stops dreaming to become a president, and starts thinking about if they will ever be lucky enough to be able to pay rent? When did we lose this ambition? And more importantly, why?

     I have an indescribable sense of pride towards those with ambitions; I have seen people make their way in the world because they had to, and they are among the strongest, kindest, most understanding people I have ever met. I have also seen them make changes for not only themselves, but for others as well, able to improve this world, even when coming up from nothing or next to it. So how come I, as a person of privilege and a decent enough mind, have nothing to show for how I have done anything to help? I lack ambition; I lack drive. I have never once needed to prove myself, so I have not. I have never had need for struggle, and that has made me a danger to those who have, for with this major imbalance in power, I am likely taking the place of others who are more deserving of job positions or education opportunities because I am a safer investment that the person down the street living in the same house as three other families.

     Part of this is because not every place that provides decent pay jobs are truly equal opportunity employers, and another part because even for places that are, they hire people based vastly on educational criteria. And guess what? People who are born or married into money are more likely to be able to afford a safe neighborhood with good schools, able to take volunteer jobs for a college resume, and are all in all more likely to scholastically succeed just based on the money they had. It is a brutal cycle that will likely never end if we try to maintain basic human rights, and it hurts us, even now. It hurt us when it started, the second the first person was born into money or status, and it will continue forever onward.

     So I ask, what is the point in all this mess? This complicated web of lies and truths? This unpredictable game of life? Why do we ever bother trying to make things better when it will never be good enough?

     Now, I'm not suggesting killing off all of humanity, though, in a logical sense, that would be the easiest fix to all these problems with the least amount of suffering, but how come so many people still cling to hope? How come I do?

     How come, with all that is so far gone and stacked against us, we still manage to think that tomorrow will be better, or that the future will be alright? Is it worth it? To continue to foster this hope?