Why are there no truly inspirational people anymore.

If you want an ''inspirational person'' then look within.
If you want an ''inspirational person'' then look at your nearest and dearest.

I'm sure that just about everybody can find inspirational qualities from both of those categories.

The thought that one would look up to political, sporting, scientific and artistic figures for general inspiration baffles me.

A particular politician may inspire me to engage in a career of politics, if I believed and shared some of his ideals.

Brian Lara might have inspired me to become a cricketer, because of his intrinsic batting prowess.

Michio Kaku might inspire me to push the boundaries of science and physics, because of his extraordinarily sharp mind.

I can see how someone would look up to people for particular inspiration in terms of their profession or ability, but to say that someone that you personally don't know could be generally ''inspirational'' seems very strange to me.

EDIT: Double post.



[edit on 15-7-2010 by Sherlock Holmes]

Inspirational people need not be particularly famous or influential. Personally I find Nick Vujicic, the men in this video, to be really inspiring

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by anglodemonicmatrix


There are people I find inspirational or view as my heroes, most of them dead (Carl Sagan, Bill Hicks, George Carlin). It is hard to find ones that are both in the spotlight and inspirational though.

This may sound lame but the first person that came to mind for me is John Stewart the Host of the Daily Show (not sure if you get that in Australia). He's a comedian in the business of fake news and yet even with a comic spin he ends more fair and balanced than most MSM outlets and he points out the hypocrisy on both the left and right of the false political dichotomy here in the US.

Other heroes of mine are the youtube users sometimes referred to as the League of Reason (Aronra, Thunderf00t, etc)

It can be hard to find people to admire but if you look hard enough they are there, perhaps not basking in the limelight, but they're there.

reply to post by anglodemonicmatrix


The 24 hour news cycle will tarnish the image of anyone that they can....so don't expect much to happen on a large scale.


But on the small scale i am inspired quite often. When i look at my wife, even after 15 years, i am driven mad with love. She, alone, can inspire anything that I am capable of doing better than anything else that I have ever experienced.

My mom inspires me with her grace, her patience, her appreciation for the small miracles of life. The way she treats everyone with kindness, but will not allow her meekness to be a weakness.

My oldest son inspires me with the most insightful, yet small concepts. An example that made me think for awhile, given when he was 13, "If you aren't with someone who is making you better, then you need to move on. You and your mate should only bring out the best in each other." So bold, so blunt, and so true.

My youngest son inspires me to never, ever let anyone tread on me. I was once like that, and became tamed by my years. He has reminded me that there are things worth fighting for. Of course, he also needs to learn that there are many battles better left not fought....but that is another story. In recent days he has reignited a fierce patriotism that burns in my heart. No patriotism to the US, but to the idea of liberty. The ORIGINAL purpose of my nation. My youngest son has truly lit that fire by reminding me that I am an individual, a single man, and that I will not be pushed aside. To quote the Texas' revolutionary Gonzales flag: Come and Take It.

I could go on and on, but will finish by saying that even on this very forum i am inspired. The elegantly worded insights of Protoplasmic Traveller, or the astoundingly insightful posts by Shrodingers Dog, and any other number of dozens that time and honor will not allow me to carry on about....i am often inspired on this very site.

It happens in small ways, at least for me. I am a poor fanboy. And an even poorer lamb.