Prove them wrong

One concept that I've internalized (to some extent) with the Democratic Education program is that we should be succeeding as students in spite of the system, and not because of it. This was particularly interesting when the Provost said that it was precisely because of the opportunities that Stonehill has that makes it an attractive place for college-age students. I'm not taking anything away from what Stonehill has. I love this place, but this isn't the time for that discussion. I want to talk about this whole in-spite-of idea further, and extrapolate it to our everyday actions, thoughts, and self-worth in life in and of itself.

You can go anywhere and find quotes that are sources of inspiration for many. The Bible, Google, StumbleUpon. Take your pick. Landscapes of lakes, oceans, clouds, silhouettes are the background to these quotes. We're supposed to see all this, take it all in, and live a better life as a result. But this result is because of these quotes. Take this one from Buddha:

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

Alright, cool, Buddha. Makes sense, and this makes me want to share happiness with others. But to think that this world is full of sunshine and puppies is only one side of it. Plenty of horrible stuff is happening, and to varying degrees. I think that it's a hell of a lot more motivational to see something that falls into the in-spite-of category. Something to the effect of "I'm going to do something in the face of this."

Now try the Bible. Google. StumbleUpon. I implore you to find quotes about the universe, about the world in which we live, that motivate you to do something in spite of what the quote says. Not because of. I've tried and have come up with literally nothing. It's often said that the most dangerous person is someone with nothing to lose. What it all comes down to, I suppose, is proving the universe wrong. Proving others wrong is more satisfying than proving others right. We have more motivation to do so, and we make it personal when someone says we can't do something. So, here you go, reader. I challenge you to do this. You can't find that motivation to do something in spite of what is in place. Merely because of, and that's not good enough. Prove me wrong.