24 March 2008

If I knew I wouldn't fail...

"What would you do if you knew you would not fail?" asked Ms. Sizzle a few days ago. Pretty straightforward question, right? My initial response was, "I'm not sure," and boy did that answer bother me.

In her comments, there are a lot of would-be photographers. Oft times, I'd count myself among them, but it just didn't feel like the answer to "What would you do if you knew you would not fail?"

Brushing aside all one's internal No's is the point of asking the question in this manner after all. I reckon that if I knew I wouldn't fail, I'd feel obligated to think big:
Find cures for HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart disease, mental illnesses, Parkinson's, MS, the common cold, you name it...

Implement the Miss America answers: End hunger, poverty, and violence. You know, world peace.

Ending violence would rest heavily on my ability to change people's minds. If I knew I wouldn't fail, I'd convince everyone, starting with the most militant extremists, that focusing on our differences is infinitely less important than making sure everyone has access to clean water, shelter, education, food, and clothing. I'd learn to set aside any remaining biases I have while I was at it. Promoting tolerance would be key.

While I was at it, I'd convince people that science is good: evolution and atheists are no cause for fear or distrust. I'd explain that accepting responsibility for one's actions can provide a potent moral compass whether or not one believes in a higher power.

I'd save tigers and polar bears from extinction.

I'd develop better polution-free renewable energy systems, so the world could stop relying on and fighting over oil.

I'd encourage space exploration, though hopefully by this time I'd have inspired some other people to do the rocket designing.

Throughout this whole list, I would hope to inspire others to work towards solutions themselves, to share their research with one another without monetary or corporate concerns in mind.

And once all this was done, I would go home and be an artist, unconstrained by any particular medium, with enough space to pursue my varied interests: photography, sculpture, furniture, drawing, and writing; and enough money to travel when I felt like it.

You may now appreciate better my inital answer: I'm not sure. I do.

Also, to be fair to Ms. Sizzle's commenters, the context of the question in her post was geared towards work and dating, so it's not surprising the comments tended more to the personal than altruistic. With additional time, that's just where my literal mind led me.

In reality, I grew tired of arguing with people about their deep-seated beliefs a long time ago, since there was rarely any sign that it was fruitful.


Two years ago on TTaT: I'm a little lamb

4 comments:

  1. I like where you went with it. For me it was focused on work and I still haven't answered it for myself!

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  2. It's not easy. Even if you eliminate your fears and doubts, I think the follow-up question becomes: what are you willing to sacrifice to do what you envision?

    E.g., I'd have to go back to school and/or spend years in research to accomplish several things I listed. For others, I'd have to become really outgoing (which actually sounds more difficult). And ultimately, I feel fairly certain that I wouldn't be able to accomplish all of those things in my lifetime; which then to choose?

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  3. I think people usually pose this as a dream-job question (as someone already pursuing something artsy and marginal, who needs to make time to pay bills and relax, I'm always vaguely irked by it).

    But I also like where you took it. You think like me, assuming your first obligation is to save the world. I think the key is finding a way to help people while doing something you love--because either by itself won't be totally fulfilling to you. So...photos of antiwar protests?

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  4. Cheryl: The truth is most people don't want to give up their security, let's say a good or even decent paying job, to pursue a career in the rejection filled world of the low-paying arts.

    You're probably right. Balance is often the best approach to take. Photojournalism sounds a bit too people-centric for my introverted soul though.

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