“You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can’t, but also knowing that literature is indispensable to the world… The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even but a millimeter the way people look at reality, then you can change it.” – James Baldwin
When I took a new path in my late 20s that would focus on creative writing, travel, and self-discovery, this is one of the quotes that really fed my inspiration. I posted this quote on Facebook at the time.
One of my new coworkers at the mountain lodge I was working at said “You can’t change the world so just forget it.” It’s not so much what she said, but how she said it. We were beginning to hit it off, but the writer part of me was starting to annoy her. It amazed me she felt that way, because she had the ability to change many lives herself. She was very kind to me when I arrived and showed me some helpful tidbits about life and relationships.
The world changes because of the people in it. While one person is very unlikely to “change the whole world”, change always starts with the individual. As the above quote says, if you can inspire one person or help someone’s mindset improve, you are already creating good change. People you help or inspire will then help and inspire others. Change is brought about by multiple people.
As you can see, anyone can have good ideas that can help others or improve life for others. You could be the next inventor, novelist, public speaker, philanthropist, medical researcher, scientist, doctor, artist, etc. who can inspire a lot of people.
If you’ve helped someone in any way, you have certainly helped change the world for the better. There are also negative movements that try to take all the joy and love out of life – think of misandrists/misogynists, bigotry, hookup culture, political agendas that don’t serve people, or any ideal that holds an “us vs. them” mentality.
So if you focus on creating messages that can help people live their best lives and feel better, you can help create positive change.
Thank you so much for listening today. ❤ Have a great one!
Musings Of A Wildflower 
Love this quote from Baldwin. One of our best prose writers.
Yes it’s pretty epic isn’t it?
Messages that definitely help people is the way. I believe much on making a big impact to people that having to change the world. But I like your post it’s awesome. Just added by thought to this🙂
Yes that’s exactly what my post was referring to. The world is people.
Yes don’t underestimate your ability to change the world. I like what you said “There are also negative movements that try to take all the joy and love out of life – think of misandrists/misogynists, bigotry, hookup culture, political agendas that don’t serve people, or any ideal that holds an “us vs. them” mentality.” After a period of significant improvement in inclusiveness and attitudes towards each other, and the spread of democracy, we are again faced with divisiveness and what the author and analyst/professor Moisés Naím calls “the revenge of power” or return of authoritarianism. Writers have a very important role in preventing us from falling for the siren songs of divisiveness.
That is a really great point! You’re very right.
You inspire my !!
Thank you. You too.
Totally agreed
Thanks so much for reading!
We all have the ability to change the world, even if it is in a small way.
That’s very true!
Well said, Sara. The great change-makers in history believed in the power of one person to make a change. Julia Carney’s poem says “Little drops of water,/Little grains of sand,/Make the mighty ocean/And the pleasant land.”
So true!😊
I so agree Sara… “if you can inspire one person or help someone’s mindset improve, you are already creating good change.”
This is why I write! ❣️
❤️
❤️