The struggle for relevance

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There is no feeling under the high heavens more dear to humans than the feeling of importance. Inherent in all humans, it has got us all addicted. I dare say it is this craving that has built and shaped civilization in every aspect of human existence. The constant struggle for relevance has got every individual drunk on something. Even the greats that preceded couldn't help but succumb to this incessant desire to be relevant and we are certainly without some. It was this craving that that carved the path for Abraham Lincoln to become one of the greatest leaders known to America and the world. Even for a man considered to be the greatest writer of all times, Shakespear fell prey to this desire when he attempted adding 'Luster' to his name. It is almost as important as eating and breathing. Dale Carnegie in his book, How to win friends & influence people remarks; "If you tell me how you get your feeling of importance, I'll tell you what you are". This can not be far from the truth because more often than not, the true nature of a person is manifested in the things he finds solace and self-esteem in. For some, it is chaos and destruction that gives them their daily surge of dopamine. If I were asked my opinion of such persons, I would probably downgrade them. But then I am only entitled to my opinion and I dare not impose my thought onto others. The other bunch are those I consider to be the drivers of the world. They wake up every morning thinking of ways to make relevant impact of the world.

This is no strange feeling and applies universally. I have certainly had a feel of relevance in the past and just like a sedative, I wake up every more thinking of ways to get myself on the world's radar and to feel relevant once more. What I have discovered after countless encounters with people is that the predicament I find myself in is no different from what others find themselves in, irrespective of the status of the person in question. You would see the established individuals still pushing and struggling to become even more prominent and the ones at the bottom grappling and clawing their way up the ladder. I see the stress and pain people put themselves through, and as I observe, I ask myself "why go through all this pain?", "why not just stop?". The only answer I keep circling back to is :"probably these persons see themselves where they are not yet at and the only way to be up to the task, the stress, pain, fatigue and so on are all pre-requisites". Well, with what authority do I think for others? I can only tell of what I believe and have seen and for what it's worth, I believe nothing great has ever happened without the struggle and turmoil. If not for the feeling of relevance, why would @pandev or the over one million people on steemit give their best on this blockchain? I guess all I am saying is that we all do different things differently but at the end of the day, everybody seeks self improvement which inevitably makes an individual relevant in society.

I take my inspiration from Dale Carnegie's book, How to win friends & influence people. I read this book over and over again because it gives and insight into human behaviors and how they influence then human life. I will definitely recommend it but then you decide.