Issue 40:讨论 求拍

rescsuyiUID: 2913136

40
"Scholars and researchers should not be concerned with whether their work makes a
contribution to the larger society. It is more important that they pursue their individual interests, however unusual or idiosyncratic those interests may seem."


Accessing objectives and goals for the future is commonly the way how people orient themselves for future success and development. Scholars and researchers, who constituted the working force for the future societal progress, are particularly incumbent upon reflecting such topics. In one perspective, it is believed that contribution to the larger society is obligatory the ultimate goal for scholars and researchers. Admittedly, it is of great significance that such concern should be of one of the factors that guides through the process of reflection. Nevertheless, success and contribution of individuals almost never initiated in this way.

First, the goal of contributing to larger society, when at the first glance plausibly noble, rarely served the purpose of guidance for personal fulfillment. The notion of societal contribution is such a broad term that it is of little realistic guidance when it comes to the specific character of the individual.
When Bill Gates made his decision to drop out from Harvard, he could not care less about what follows as the traditional path of success.
And why did he choose to do so? probably not a grand goal of becoming the foremost contribution to the development of computer software. Bill Gates just followed his dream. Imagine a world in which only large-scale societal interest is considered, Bill Gates would never have been recognized for his transgression of such standard. When we focus too much on contemplating these grand proposals, we have also readily overlooked the value of individual talent and fulfillment.

Second of all, major contributions for the society, especially for those better known ones, are limited to the countable amount of luminaries. In other words, it is uncommon that the majority of us will become one of those “heroes” who can truly make a strike in the human history. On an individual level, to bear our minds on such grand directions may be overwhelmingly unrealistic, not to mention to fulfill these goals. Thomas Edison, before his great invention, experienced a series of failure in his experiments. His success did not spring from a flash of inspiration nor does it comes from any grandiose ambition. It slowly evolved work from a million times of trials and errors.

Third of all, major contribution, on the very contrary, always not only does not contradict with personal interest, but also sprung from the very heart of personal pursuit. It is this attention to what is at hand and what reality provides that allows this freedom of expression which leads to the very success in contributing to our society. Many people did not understand why Gates gave up such a good opportunity to study in the world most prestigious university. What he did was following what was most important to him and what his dream was. Microsoft, nowadays, dominates the world software industry and Bill Gates becomes the richest man in the world.

In conclusion, it would be erroneous if individual development abandoned the consideration of societal interest. It is one of the foremost noble as well as honorable achievements

to make such contributions. However, it is also wise to realize that the pursuit of personal interest always serve as a benefactor in the greater interest of the society. And it is important to keep in mind that too much focus on these grand standards may be both unrealistic as well as misleading in individual levels.