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Comment by MrVandemar | Hacker News Reader

What is the point of a president? What is the point of a prime-minister? What is the point of a King, or Queen, or Emperor, or "People's Commitee" if there is no-one with the power to say "enough"? No-one with the power to say "no more"?

People make me fucking sick to my teeth. I bust my guts trying to make things a little better, and I earn very little and get back nothing. Then you realise every effort is undermined by an avalanche of shit from people actively trying to make things worse.

Fuckfuckfuck.

Why bother even trying? Why bother even being alive?

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> Why bother even trying?

Because you helped somebody.

If the world is drowning, and all your work amounts to a millimetre off the water level of one city, what good have you done? A millimetre might make the difference between a submerged nostril, and not. The difference between the water flooding a building's walls, and it not. Nobody can determine the absolute level of badness in the world, but we can make local, relative changes to it. All big things are made of small things.

You can never know whether you have helped anyone. That does not mean you haven't.

We didn’t start the fire, it was always burning, since the world’s been turning.

Doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying to do good. It’s good for you, if nothing else. But you have to let go of the idea that you control more than the tiniest fraction of it.

> I bust my guts trying to make things a little better

Don't.

> I earn very little and get back nothing.

Exactly. You need to be more mercenary.

> Why bother even trying?

For things you care about. Your family, your self, maaaybe some close friends. If you're going to invest in a project, make sure you own it or have significant equity.

The world is chock full of vampires looking to exploit helpers. Don't let them get you.

> The world is chock full of vampires looking to exploit helpers. Don't let them get you.

More importantly, don't let this dissuade anyone from helping. Some caution is needed yes, but cynicism is the greater foe. A life of public service is a life well spent.

Most people with lots of power or money never want to lose any of it. They see it as if destiny has given them a right over others, so they feel superior

> What is the point of a president? What is the point of a prime-minister?

To play charades, when they are real we call them dictators /s?

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