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When I was in Junior College, I'd often get frustrated when large crowds of students were bottlenecked when entering or leaving a lecture theatre. 10 years ago and I still think about this. There are two sets of two doors, and yet invariably only one was opened. Agonizingly slow
I would repeatedly unlock and open the second door, and enjoy watching the stream of students double in speed. I always thought, why isn't this the norm? Why don't people habitually open both doors? It could save 5-10 mins per lecture, multiplied by hundreds of lectures a year
I honestly think those doors shaped my attitude towards the world. Ie the world is full of myopic individuals who follow the herd, streaming through a narrow pass, &almost nobody bothers to think about how to make life better for all. I never saw anybody else opening the 2nd door
I know the door-openers exist. People write books about starships & make YouTube tutorials on how to unclog toilets. Those humans are my heart and I will give my life for them. For the bulk of the herd, though, I have an uneasy wariness (for individuals) & contempt (for the herd)
Door-openers (otoh): Mr. Rogers Bob Ross Carl Sagan Alan Watts Richard Feynman Aaron Swartz Martin Luther King, Jr Les Brown Jon Kabat-Zinn Jimmy Wales John Green Jane Jacobs Montaigne Oliver Sacks Ray Bradbury Randy Pausch Walt Disney Steve Jobs George Orwell Derek Sivers
There are obviously many different ways to open doors - and it's possible to try and fail. But I am deeply suspicious of the people who do not try. You needn't be doing it for altruistic purposes. Curiosity is enough. (And now I'm curious about why I say "deeply suspicious"...)