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apeksha ha

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Do you think one person can change the world? Can it be you?

Uptil now i didn't believe in it until i found out that one of my instructor didn't wash his hands till two days after he shook hands with Nelson Mandela. That's the power of one idividual and impact it can have on the minds of people.

I think there is a part of Nelson Mandela in us which we chose to ignore. What if everyone decides that they have to stick to their passion and change the world!

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Topics: Power of one inspiration
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  • N Coca

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    Aug 26 2012: i agree, but one person can't do it alone. truly great leaders are the ones who also understand hwo to delegate, to see greatness in others, and listen to their communities. having just returned from South Africa, I can say that Mandela was a great leader because he recognized those attributes and his own humility. that is why we are so inspired by him.

  • Tsanta Gaëlle Ramamonjisoa

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    Aug 24 2012: I'm convinced that one person can bring changes to the world. We can bring changes to the community where we are in if we want to. That's why there are lots of role models all over the world.
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    Adriaan Braam 20+

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    Aug 21 2012: We can only change our own world, and influence the rest.

    The more people would realize we are only in this world to determine our next world, the better this world may become.

    This world is nothing but the seedbed of heaven. It is not about how rich, but how good we are when our body dies.
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    Edwin Nazarian 10+

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    Aug 19 2012: Hello

    I believe so.

    can I ask you to tell me changing the world with what and in which way exactly?
    I don't know any one who has ever changed the world, not any leader or historical figure.

    the people you are talking about have brought something new / different view to world.
    M K Gandhi showed us the way out of madness, he didn't realised that then, and we Humans didn't want to accept it. now, do you think he changed the world?
    from Pre-historical monkeys to Buddha / Sun Tzu / Jesus Christ / Muhammad / Einstein / Hitler / Mandela to S Jobs and B Gates, do you think these individuals changed the world?

    in which shape was it and how it is now? did we live better before or after these people?
    (after all these people, we still wake up and work 9 to 5 and pay taxes ) - do you call this Change?

    I believe we all bring something new / different to the world but how we use it it's up to us.
    I don't think we can change the world, but I believe we can improve our way of thinking and that thinking may affect others positively or negatively.

    can a non-materialist person be a billionaire? - I bet you know, because it's already proven.

    whether it can be me who will change the world or not, I don't know.
    I just know that I didn't come here to change the world, I came to live my life.

    • apeksha ha

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      Aug 19 2012: "in which shape was it and how it is now? did we live better before or after these people?
      (after all these people, we still wake up and work 9 to 5 and pay taxes ) - do you call this Change?"

      We still wake up and go to work because of our own choice...imagine the lives of millions of people who had to go and work not by choice but by force, when you work and still your family has nothing to eat! When you get up and are forced to work like a slave!

      I do believe that these people have changed the world as they did not free their own countrymen but also people like me around the world who still carry on living their lives thinking about their ideas!

  • Autumn Frisco 10+

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    Aug 18 2012: I believe one person has in them the power of many people yes, however, that one person can be the necesary piece to change the tide : )
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    pemci zamyou

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    Aug 18 2012: Dear Apeksha Ha!!!

    A spark can burn the forest. therefore a person can change the world, we human have very unimaginable intelligence. It can make world beautiful if we use in positive, if this use in negative way then it can change the world as hell.

    The human's intelligence is like a magic stick .............................
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    James Zhang 30+

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    Aug 16 2012: The only way for a person to not change the world is to have never existed in the first place.

  • choi jisu

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    Aug 16 2012: It is impossible for one person to be able to chage the world. Becuase in second hand or first hand ,our life is related to each other live in the earth . For instance, we may think the worker in bank is a preson who we never meet if we don't go to the bank. But we will meet the worker in bank because w ewill go to the bank someday if we get a loan or save money.Otherwise, one person is not possible
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      Colleen Steen 500+

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      Aug 18 2012: Choi Jisu,
      If, as you say, our life is related to each other, which I agree with, why we cannot change things? Do you know about the ripple effect? I believe we cause the ripple effect with our actions in each and every moment...why not?
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    Chetan Somani

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    Aug 16 2012: I believe-'None of the people can change the world , indeed they can make it better'.
    i think so because making a place better is to make people better since they get accumulated with the ambience of the place.
    Nelson Mandela dint change the world infact he fought for the betterment of the world.
    They are many people much proficient in they own field of honour and they work inorder to make their contribution to the field better.

  • george lockwood 20+

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    Aug 16 2012: I think the facts have been dealt with here See Obi and gale, but a great change The average person will have problems beyond that unless they spot a leverage point and do exactly the right thing. How unlikely?

  • apeksha ha

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    Aug 15 2012: Dalai Lama once said that Acquisitions would not produce true happiness as we had never the biggest boat, house or car and will be stuck in a perpetual materialist cycle. But if we gave something away to those who are less fortunate. We had get nothing in return but a warm feeling in our heart and the knowledge in our brains that we had made the world a better place"
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      Ruturaj Gole

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      Aug 16 2012: I think he meant to pay attention and contribute to public affairs than being individualistic. It is like we are standing together having some money in our hand. I have 10 rupees in my hand and you have 20. Now,to buy some food,I need at least 15 rupees,while you can enjoy some better food than me. My insufficiency about can be considered as my own 'fate' or 'bad luck',while your adequacy is considered is your 'fate' or 'good luck'.That seems to settle the issue,but does not. The ideal approach is that we divide that extra 10 rupees of yours and we both will be able to buy food. This is what goes in the world but in a much bigger and wider sense. Progress is necessary,but it should be horizontal and not vertical. It should reach every person in the population and not keep rising in a selected class of person. So,you can relate this to the real world,while the people in Somalia are fighting for food,the people in some classes fight overindulgence in food which leads to obesity and diabetes.

  • apeksha ha

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    Aug 15 2012: I believe that if each one of us does good for one person at least and then promise him to do the same for someone else and make him promise to do the same for another....

    This can create an unending chain which ultimately can result in a worldwide movement.
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      Ruturaj Gole

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      Aug 16 2012: What I think is we need the 'mentality',the 'perfect perspective'. This might seem as a wannabe or obvious kind of an answer,but it is something different than what you think. Religion is one of the worst problems of the world. There is no other life,there is no god. When people would realize that this moment they are alive,right now they are alive when they couldn't have been,they realize that there is something more important and significant to do in their lives. I mean to say that,when I say "feed the hungry",one says "ok,but i have to look for my own self and what difference can I make?". Imagine,if everybody saying this actually does think about the world,then there won't be 'alone' in it. Yes,you are right,we need a bloody worldwide movement and for that we need to inject that mentality. It should spread like an infection.
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    Eric Henry

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    Aug 15 2012: Several comments have already been made to the effect that we all change the world either a little or a great deal. I couldn't help thinking of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" in which a humble small town banker almost loses everything during the Great Depression and tries to commit suicide stating he wished he had never existed. He is interrupted by an "angel," who leads him through a journey during which he is able to see exactly what his small town would be like had he never existed.

    Maybe that's the answer to "Can it be you?" It likely already is. Just imagine how many lives and events might be different had you not been there to be part of them. Then try to imagine the 2nd, 3rd, etc. order of the effect of your life upon lives, who had an effect on other lives, and so on. It will soon surpass the capability of your mind to go through this exercise, but you may come to the realization that you truly have changed the world.

    An inability to see documented evidence of your impact on the world in large headlines in a newspaper doesn't make your influence any less real.
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      Colleen Steen 500+

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      Aug 18 2012: Dear Eric,
      I do not presume to change the world, but I had a great gift several years ago, which leads me to believe that I do indeed contribute to very tiny changes:>)

      While regaining consciousness after a near fatal head/brain injury and emergency craniotomy, I recieved hundreds of cards letters, notes and good wishes. Some began by saying..."you probably don't remember me, but 5 years ago you said something that changed my life"....or....."10 years ago you did something for me that changed my life". I did indeed remember these people and I remembered that I didn't do anything special!!! I was simply enjoying being kind to people. The reminders that I had influenced people in so many ways blew me away! I kept reading those notes over and over again to remind myself that I DO make a difference in each and every moment....as we all do:>)

      You are SO RIGHT ERIC...."Can it be you"...it likely already is". With mindful awareness, we can change at least our little corner of the world. Can you imagine how powerful that might be if the majority of people in our world came on board with this idea worth spreading? What a wonderful world it would be:>)
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    edward long 100+

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    Aug 15 2012: A life spent pursuing selfish goals will be posted on the negative side of the ledger.A life lived responsibly will go on the plus side.Every life changes the world, some for the worse, and some for the better.
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    Ruturaj Gole

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    Aug 15 2012: It is funny when people say that one person cannot change the world. If there is a necessity to bring a change, that they know,if one person cannot change the world,that they believe,they why don't people come together and bring the change? I mean,you know some change needs to be brought,I know that too,but we keep telling each other that we cannot change the world alone,then why not come together? According to me,yes,one person can change the world. It is not the person who has the importance,it is that person's activity towards the world. I mean,most of the people don't know who invented the mobile phone,but someone did and that matters. It doesn't matter where he came from,what he did before,etc. By the way it was invented by Dr.Martin Cooper,owner of Motorola in 1973 :P
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    Morgan Barnes

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    Aug 15 2012: If I can change my little corner of it for the better then hopefully it may have a flow on effect somewhere else in the world
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    E G 10+

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    Aug 15 2012: Nelson Mandela didn't change the world , I don't think at him as to a superior (unlike your instructor ) -- you should do the same thing if you wanna change the world . Powerful people recognize their fellows powerful people , they don't bow before them .
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    Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

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    Aug 15 2012: We can all make impactful changes in our communities; a willing, passionate and hardworking human can change so much in the world around her or him.
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    Obey No1kinobe 50+

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    Aug 15 2012: We all change a bit of the world. Just some more than others.

    Can we all equally have a profound change, probably not, although we could all make a bigger impact than we currently do if we tried.

    Suggest there is luck, capability, experience, drive, intent, resources, determination and these are not equal.

  • gale kooser 20+

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    Aug 14 2012: Each & every minute of each & every day, some one is changing their space in the world which can change the whole world.
    A pebble thrown into a still pond, causes many ripples.
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    Debra Smith 200+

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    Aug 14 2012: Yes, I really do. Here is something that informs me (and please note the crucial role of the 2nd leader or first accolite)

    http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

    here is another great TEDx talk:

    http://youtu.be/hVCBrkrFrBE

    • Autumn Frisco 10+

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      Aug 18 2012: When you see a lone nut doing something great, have the courage to join in
      -Derek Silvers

      one of my favorite talks to share : )
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        Debra Smith 200+

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        Aug 18 2012: Autumn, Here is to lone nuts and savants and those with consciences!
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