How can we reconcile our actions with our opportunties?

TL;DR: Is it possible to use our creative opportunities without squandering them?

I was thinking today, and what I’ve thought is hard to put into words.

It’s hard. I watched this movie in the theater today, called Pina. It was a very cool movie, half documentary about the late dancer and half an artsy dance exhibition. Very abstract, and very dreamlike. In short, it was Art.

As I watched the figures moving about the screen, contorting and writhing in rhythm, my mind began to wander. I thought about what each dancer was feeling. During interviews they often referenced the high emotional fulfillment and freedom of expression that they felt during the routines, and how it helped them come to terms with themselves. Very real, very powerful to them.

I thought about art in general. The point most always seems to be self expression and communication of emotion. It happens with those dancers and it happens with musicians, and writers, and painters, and every artist.

Now, I absolutely love art. I can’t repeat that enough. And I’m using a broad definition of art here, but I love all of it. Some of the best moments for me, the most authentic, the best connection with my own emotions and with others comes about when I’m playing my music, or listening to some powerful music made by someone else, or coming to an amazing climax in a powerful book. All of that, can bring true humanity. And it is wonderful.

And I love creating my own art. It is the epitome of emotional expression, and it just feels so good. I cannot get enough, though I am not personally very talented in much but music and maybe writing. But anyway.

I think about how wonderful it is, that we can communicate this way, and how important art is, and how we can connect to others on such a pure emotional level that it is amazing.

I feel sometimes that I would be happiest in life to make Art, and to experience Art, and to live and breathe Art of all kinds. It is so amazing.

But then, I stop to think. To think more. Here is what I feel.

Art, in all its forms, seems to me to be purely self-indulgent. Why do I love it so much? Because it makes ME feel good. Because I receive large PERSONAL satisfaction. Because it makes ME feel real. It let’s me express MYSELF.

But really, who cares? Who cares what I think? Why should anyone listen to ME express MYSELF, when they can be finding their own way? What do they need me for? Aren’t I just babbling to myself in selfish artistic bliss because it feels good, and having no real consequence to the outside world? What is the point of my art?

Is the point because I like it? Is the point because it feels good to express myself?

If that is the case, then what right do I have to express myself? I was born and have lived all my life in the United States, pretty much the wealthiest country in the world, with nearly unlimited opportunities. It is because I live here and it is because of my luck in the genetic and familial lottery that I am able to find creative channels. There isn’t anything special about me. What right do I have to express myself over anyone else in the world?

What right do I have to sit by and squander my life selfishly creating when millions of people just like me around the world don’t even have a place to sleep, let alone a place to play music or paint. Or even the people living in wealthy countries who have not had my opportunities. All those people deserve a chance to express themselves and feel the deep love for human nature that Art affects just as much as I do. How can I sit by writing MLP fanfics and feeling happy because I’m being artistic when there are so many who do not have that opportunity?

I am so grateful. Grateful beyond measure. To whom I am not sure. Maybe my parents. Maybe my community. Maybe God. Maybe random chance. But no matter who it is, I feel so happy and lucky that I do not have to spend hours and hours scrounging for the tiniest bit of food, or that I am not a captive of my own mind inside an institution somewhere. I am so goddamn thankful. All of us here, by merit of being able to see this post are some of the luckiest people alive.

So I’ve been given this great gift, the chance that so many do not have, the chance to create, the chance to enjoy the best that humanity has come up with over its millennia. The chance to go to school and get three square meals a day without being shot at. And I appreciate it more than anything. I relish everyday that I can live in this society. I relish the fact that I can drive myself to school with my Dad’s spare car, and listen to the Beatles on my magic music box inside it, and then I can end up in this building—this institution of learning—where I can read anything, Shakespeare, Hemingway, Dostoevsky, Plato, and where I can learn about the history of the world, and where I can get a free sandwich just by going there, and where I have the time and opportunity to complain about homework. I have those chances, and I relish them when I really think about it.

So don’t get me wrong, I don’t have First World Guilt (okay maybe a little). But I do feel that I do not deserve all this. What have I ever done?

With all this opportunity, with all this power over my own life and with all this ability to become an artist, I feel I have an unending debt and responsibility. I feel that it is my responsibility, if not my duty to use my chances, scarce as they are in this world, in the best way possible.

The only real choice I can see is to use my chances to, with the best of my ability, help others gain those same chances. It is the only way I can repay my debt. Chances and opportunities are what matter most, and I would be squandering my riches to not do my best to bring those same chances to those less fortunate than me.

Sure, I would love to sit around all day, watching MLP, listening to Beethoven, and painting my way to fame and fortune. But I do not feel that I can. It would not be fair. I have the power to direct my life to allow more people those chances and choices. How can I not use that power? How is that decent? How is that fair?

And I also feel that just by being the kind of person to think about this, and to be conscientious about this requires that it be my duty and responsibility to act on these thoughts. Not everyone has had the chance of a good education and supportive family to come to these conclusions, so I would be squandering that chance if I were to not act on these thoughts.

So, I’d like to hear what people think about all of this.

An encompassing question, I suppose, could be:

Is it possible to use our creative opportunities without squandering them?

Minnow said:

So don’t get me wrong, I don’t have First World Guilt (okay maybe a little).

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Uh. The rest of your post begs to differ.

This is really a very simple issue; denial is the only reason anyone ever thinks otherwise. We're privileged. We've got lots of nice and comfy things, while people elsewhere - actually not just elsewhere, but right under our noses too - are living really shitty lives, because we won't share. There's nothing stopping you from donating all your stuff to charity, but you won't, because you're selfish - like pretty much everyone else. Few people in this world are saints. Most of us look out for number one. Sure, we're capable of compassion and altruism, but we often choose to look the other way. That's the way it is.

If you feel that it is your responsibility and your duty to help people who are much worse off than you are, then you can't justify not doing anything. You simply can't. You only have two options: either you start acting in accordance with your own moral code, by doing that which you believe to be your duty and responsibility; or, you accept that you're a selfish, hypocritical and imperfect person like nearly everybody else, and continue living the same as you always have.

There really is nothing difficult about this. Your morals are telling you "this is what's right, this is what you should do", while another part of you is trying to come up with an excuse not to do it because it would be a lot more convenient if you didn't have to. But don't try to deceive yourself into thinking that you can somehow justify living a life of comfort and turning a deaf ear to that little voice in your head that says "this isn't fair, other people deserve to have this, too". You seem serious about this "duty and responsibility" thing, but we'll see where you end up.

To answer your question: whether or not our creative opportunities are "squandered" depends on what you mean by "squandered", obviously (I feel like you didn't quite make it clear what you meant, but it's pretty late over here and I haven't slept well for ages so I'm not thinking straight anyway). You might be able to use your art to help people. Maybe you could use it to raise awareness or to inspire people to donate to charity. But writing MLP fanfics? I doubt it.

Maybe you'd like this one, since you seem to be interested in dancing.

I didn't mean to sound like a bitch. I suppose I did.

It was mostly on a whim that I wrote this--didn't think about it extremely thoroughly.

You may say that "there really is nothing difficult about this", but that has not been my experience. Throughout my entire life I have been informed by society that being artistic and creative is an extremely noble and worthwhile use of your time, and I've pretty much believed that mostly. But recently I've had ideas like this and began to feel that that is perhaps not true, at least for me. Perhaps it in fact is self-indulgent. I followed this thought through for a while and ended up with this rambling post.

What I meant about not having first world guilt was that many people try to completely reject the gifts of their society because they feel guilty to have them. I am saying that to do so is to spit in the face of society and that it would be better to embrace the gifts, appreciate them, and then use your elevated position to help things out if you want.

If you feel that it is your responsibility and your duty to help ponies who are much worse off than you are, then you can't justify not doing anything. You simply can't. You only have two options: either you start acting in accordance with your own moral code, by doing that which you believe to be your duty and responsibility; or, you accept that you're a selfish, hypocritical and imperfect pony like nearly everypony else, and continue living the same as you always have.

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And so, the choice is obvious.

I am also sorry if I sounded like I was trying to decide between these two things. I probably should have revised myself. Reading over it again, I feel like I was just recording this realization process as it came through my head. I'm not really looking for an answer, since that's something I can only find myself anyway. I wondered what others opinions were, so I shared my thoughts.

You seem serious about this "duty and responsibility" thing, but we'll see where you end up.

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Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Music Dragon said:

If you feel that it is your responsibility and your duty to help people who are much worse off than you are, then you can't justify not doing anything. You simply can't.

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I also wonder though, how can you justify not doing everything?

MelloScreamsKillerKarma said:

I also wonder though, how can you justify not doing everything?

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You're incapable of doing everything. It's not physically possible. That's a pretty good justification.

As in, everything you possibly can do. You can always give away more money/ time until you're mother theresa, and every extra dollar you have that you don't donate means another person in Africa is going to go hungry because you were selfish.

MelloScreamsKillerKarma said:

As in, everything you possibly can do. You can always give away more money/ time until you're mother theresa, and every extra dollar you have that you don't donate means another person in Africa is going to go hungry because you were selfish.

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And yet, if anybody donates so much they have no way of keeping an income, they won't be able to donate more in the future, and more people in Africa (and all over the world for that matter) are going to go hungry. That's not really how kindness works.

Okay, maybe Mother Theresa was an extreme case, but how can I justify going out to watch The Hunger Games tonight when $7 could feed a family in Africa for a week?

MelloScreamsKillerKarma said:

Okay, maybe Mother Theresa was an extreme case, but how can I justify going out to watch The Hunger Games tonight when $7 could feed a family in Africa for a week?

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Isn't the fact that you can't the point MD was making...?

MelloScreamsKillerKarma said:

Okay, maybe Mother Theresa was an extreme case, but how can I justify going out to watch The Hunger Games tonight when $7 could feed a family in Africa for a week?

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Holy crap, only seven bucks? What movie theater you going to? Here they're like twelve fifty.

Anywho, I understand what you're saying.

In light of what happened with Jason Russell I question major organizations/groups now though. Also I've heard they only used 31% of the donations for actual aid.

A lot of the Irish organisations do a lot of good.
Trocaire, for example, gives 99.9% of profits for aid. Literally, they had a pie-chart break down.

If you're guilty you can do something, donate, or, even better, make art that shows the suffering of the poor. You can create art as a critic of the world.

Or you can do nothing like this, and remain guilty, and it won't matter because no one will punish you if you don't do anything. As long as you don't deliberatly hurt anyone, there's no sin in living selfishly. It may sound unfair to the poor, but it's not directly your fault they're in this situation.