What To Do When You Have Taken Over The World
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It’s only a matter of time. You are going to take over the world.
But when that happens, will you know what to do with all the power? Will you use it just to get more power? Or will you be the politician who continuously uses his power to veto down good initiatives just because they don’t bring you and your supporters more money?
Or maybe you will belong to the growing group of people who actually will make a difference?
It all comes down to values.
Our values probably aren’t the same, so when we both take over, there will be some heavy discussion. Maybe even some argument. But I’m sure we’ll find a way that we both can agree on. After all, we agree on the basic principles, don’t we?
In case we don’t, let me try to push my ideals to you through this blog post. Then, use your right for free speech and do the same for me by commenting on this post. Tell me what you think we should do once we take over the world.
Responsibility
With power comes responsibility. Responsibility over our own actions. But also responsibility over the world that we have conquered and taken over: Do we build businesses that help desctroy the world as we know it? Do we manufactor our products in working conditions that make our employees feel unappreciated? Do we work so hard that we forget to live our lives? And even more importantly: do we expect that from others too?
I like to think that when you have taken over the world you will rule it like a wise king who gives power to the people and gently guides them towards what is good. One who gives them a working environment in which they can work towards their own goals and helps them in reaching them as well as he can. One that makes sure his products are good for the environment and the community.
You know: the one who not only feeds the hungry but also gives them the tools to feed themselves.
Huge opportunities
When you have taken over the world, there is no limit.
Some say the sky is the limit. Some say it’s your imagination. But for the sake of conversation, I’ll exagerate a bit if you don’t mind.
There are no limits.
You can…
- Start a food store that doesn’t use any packaging. Don’t even sell plastic bags but force the customers to bring baskets with them to carry their groceries.
- Start a bakery that bakes fresh bread for the neighbourhood every morning. Tons of bread goes to waste every day because there is so much of it in stores that it gets old before anyone gets to buy it. By baking only the bread your customers need you can reduce that amount of wasted food.
- Make your employees work from home and have no office at all.
- Be open about your beliefs. You might crash and burn, but at least then you don’t burn for nothing.
- Write a book that tells people what you think they should do with their lives.
- Devote time and money to help kids in foster care.
- Build homes to the homeless.
- Play music that makes your audience feel better.
- Start a blog and speak up your mind.
- Start a company in Africa and pay your employees a decent salary. By doing so you help some people - and set an example for others to follow.
- Play with your kids every day.
Once you have taken over your world, you are ready to do big things.
Your mind is the limit. Break it, and take over!
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December 21st, 2007 at 6:54 pm
I have to admit, the second sentence of this post already got me all sweaty and nervous. “You are going to take over the world.”
Wait, NO, I don’t want to take over the world!
It is a scary thought. At least for me. Sleeping at night with that load on my back would be quite impossible.
My rational for having this reserves for taking the seat on the throne of the world, definitely enfolds the same two aspects you mentioned Jarrko - values and responsibilities.
Values. I don’t believe that one person (or group of individuals) should *rule* the world. In a world that is inhabited by more than 6,5 billion people, I really don’t believe that one ruler can do good for each and every one of their citizens. Yes, I would like to think that I will be the “wise king who gives power to the people and gently guides them towards what is good”, but then I am also aware that my Good doesn’t necessarily match the rest of the world’s Good.
Responsibilities. Titanic ones. What do I know what future is best for the mankind? What do I know which economic system will bring well-being for the people? Is it really capitalism? Is it socialism? Is it startrekism?? How do I know if I should overthrow the eternal balance of Yin and Yang or Eros and Thanatos or whatever one calls the two opposing but complementary principles and just carry on feeding the poor, ban the use of pollutants to stop the global warming, or just set all priorities towards pursuing a space program for inhabiting another planet just because I believe that Earth’s days are numbered?…
But if I actually allow “the imagination to be the limit”, I would definitely use the power I’d had as King of the World for discovering the *elixir of wisdom*. Then I’d drink it and learn the answers to all the questions.
Only then I’d be confident enough to sit on the throne…
December 22nd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Great points, Dren!
I don’t believe in dictatorship either. I wouldn’t want to be the sole leader of the world (although I guess the perks would be pretty good). As you say there would be too much responsibility - and it would be impossible for me to know what is good for everyone.
That’s why I think everyone should take over their own world. Be wise kings and queens leading their lives and making sure they follow their values and do whatever it takes to make a lasting, positive impact in this world.
These days I think business is one of the strongest powers (if not the strongest power) in this world. That’s why I think it’s a great way for small revolutions that make this world a better place to live.
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Indeed, ownership in the literal sense is in fact senseless. But I think Jarkko brings rather fun challenge to the table.
To help others first you must help yourself
It’s a classic rule of rescue: make sure you are safe before rescuing others. You can’t help anyone if you can’t help yourself. The implication here however is that you shouldn’t worry about saving the world until you’re nice and comfortable.
Well what constitutes “comfortable”? At point do you start contributing to charity? I’ve read articles that claim you should always give away a percentage of your income, no matter what you make. I recall once reading that you should always give 50%!!! (Wish my memory didn’t suck so bad… Who the hell wrote that?)
There’s also you’re most precious commodity: your time. How much of that goes to your work, your family, your friends, your fitness…?
Do you really start being responsible when you take over the world? I think you are responsible when you are born into the world.
Live your Dream
Don’t wait until you have conquered to do what you want to do. Shane and I often interview people to consider working with them. One of the core questions that we ask is “Where are you going and can we help you get there?”
If someone is living their dream (or working towards it) and the work that we do with them is an integral part of their dream, then we are all excited to work together.
If, however, their response is something like, “I want to run a beauty shop” or, “I want to build a pet sanctuary” (both answers that we’ve heard), then we tend to say, “Why aren’t you doing that right now?” And that usually is the end of that.
Jarkko, your list of things to do when you take over the world is a beautiful list. There’s no reason you can’t do them all (are you doing them now?)
I must admit, I am stoked doing the work that i do, but i don’t feel like i am putting the time or money that I would like to into things like sharing, playing music, working to solve environmental problems, etc. Though I do try to get clients that are saving the world so i can make money and make the world a better place.
Thanks for putting together this fun exercise Jarkko.
December 22nd, 2007 at 9:18 pm
you know its a cool blog when your business partner got their first (Peter doesn’t read blogs - heck he barely reads ours) and commented to boot.
I’m simple going to answer the question.
Deal with the educational system. It is on my list of life missions. The fact that so many people have no idea how to handle their money: go into debt, never learn to balance a checkbook or what a mortgage is and how it works until they bankrupt themselves, is a travesty of our educational system. The fact that every entrepreneur I have ever met has not said, thank goodness for school, it was the secret to my success (with the exception of meeting someone there). Our school system, at least in america, is a pathetic hold over from agrarian and then industrial days. Virtually nothing about technology is taught. And the biggest crime, if you ask me and since you are still reading you are, is that people are taught to fear failure. If you are afraid to fail, then you cannot try, experiment and create. But in our public school system each and every failure is met by punishment, not encouragment.
So - that is where my energy and money is going to be places (and has already begun to be).
December 28th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Sorry it took me this long to get back to your comments, guys! I blame Christmas, but still, it’s now time to get back to you and the conversation.
@Peter:
The point you make about when you start being responsible is a good one. We are all responsible for our actions the moment we start making them. But I think it also goes so that the more your actions affect other people, the more you need to take responsibility over them.
But that’s even more reason for us to start taking responsibility early on - because if you don’t practice, how can you be responsible when you in fact are affecting other people’s lives. And in many cases, taking responsibility is also an important step on the way to get to the position of authority.
“You can’t help anyone if you can’t help yourself. The implication here however is that you shouldn’t worry about saving the world until you’re nice and comfortable.”
That’s an interesting thought… I’m sure it’s true in a sense, but I also think that as advice it might lead people to not doing anything. Many (business) ideas are in fact such that they can help both you and everyone else - and then you don’t wait to be comfortable before you can start taking responsibility.
About living the dream, I agree with you totally. I’m still in the process of leaving the “I want to do xxx” comfort zone that’s all about dreaming and moving towards actually doing the things I want. It’s sometimes hard to know what it is that you really want to do, but through doing and trying out different things I’m getting closer as we speak.
About the list I posted, you’re right - they are all things that I’d like to do over time. I’m starting one by one thinking that once I get one thing started and rolling, I will start the next one. Let’s see how it goes - I might crash and burn - but at least I’ll crash trying ;)
3, 4, 5 and 11 are the ones I’m working on at the moment.
@Shane:
That’s so true. The fear of failure is taught to us so much that it’s a surprise that anyone is doing creative work, starting businesses and stuff.
It would be amazing to see a new world where no one would be afraid to fail - in that world, we could do miracles!
Great cause, Shane!