World We Imagine

 When we are younger we are all inherently selfish.  Even now in college we are fixated on our path, what can we do to advance ourselves.  This leads me in a weird predicament. At what point is the best thing for others focusing on ourself?  This sentence makes no sense until I provide some context.  I feel like everything when you are young is like putting money in a bank that will all pay off. You do well in middle school which pays into a good high school and then into a good college. Even in college the goal is to do well so that you can get a good job and a great career path.  This is all selfish nature, but theoretically if you are super successful it all should work out.  The exponential path would put you on a higher spot than if you weren't selfish.  In a way this plan is a way that being selfish early on will allow you to have a greater impact when you are older and be more self less.  This whole idea comes from the question: who did more for the poor Mother Teressa or Bill Gates with all of his money. 

When I look at the problems today I think a lot of it stems from not having a strong education and support system.  Guidance is so important when you are young.  Not having a figure who you look up to can be determinantal to your advancement and success later on.  I remember reading an article that went to inner city classrooms and asked what they wanted to be for a living and they all said teacher, while upper class schools said doctor or engineer.  Then asked it was because the inner city class said that they didnt know anyone in other professions.  How could they aspire to be a doctor if no one they know was one. This mentorship is very important and I think there should programs to address this mentorship gap.

While these other points are important, the primary concern of improving our world should be to satisfy peoples basic needs.  There is no reason why people should go hungry, people cant drink clean water, or have access to basic housing.  These are primary before all other concerns.  It breaks my heart to see people unable to provide or have access to these basic needs.  As a catholic this has been engrained within me.  Whatever you do for the least one of me, you do for me.  This is the most important part of charity and nothing can be done without solving the root issue of basic needs.