Why bother? I'm sure you've heard that, and maybe said it. My answer: Johnny Appleseed

That was a waste of time. There is no hope. Why bother? These are all variants on our instant gratification minds. Our minds can be pretty rigid, sometimes it takes time for new concepts to take root, and change us.

When I think of the many times I've waded into the trenches on reddit or other places on a topic and just knowing that I was going to get bruised I have heard others say "Why bother?"

The truth of the matter is that very rarely do those discussions/debates yield immediate fruit. There are very rare occasions where someone has convinced me in such a debate I was wrong and I thanked them for their effort and giving me a chance to learn something. This has also on rare occasions happened to me where the other person came around and agreed with me.

Most of the time you will likely not be present to witness the seeds of such discussions having any impact.

If a person does not immediately change their perspective is it truly a "waste of time"? Is there no reasoning with them?

I like to think that these discussions are like seeds. Some of the seeds are planted in my mind by people debating with me, and some are seeds I plant in the minds of others.

I know I've come to realizations based upon debates from the past. I couldn't really go back and give credit for this new idea to the person(s) that inspired it. It took time for me to process.

Is it not reasonable to think that perhaps my discussions with people that did not have immediately gratifying results might end up being a seed that takes root and takes them to new places after I am gone?

If that is the case. Was it truly a waste of time?

When you are in school they pound you with the same "facts" and techniques over and over so you can internalize them. This is done over multiple days, weeks, months, and years. So is it reasonable to expect people to immediately internalize everything you speak to them about and agree with you right that minute?

We are all like Johnny Appleseed walking around dropping seeds of ideas. Some seeds result in fruit in some future time. Some might also result in mental weeds. It is hard to say. Yet, we should stop viewing the failure to achieve instant gratification as a waste of time.

Yes, I seem to be on a theme today. I was inspired.

Steem On!