What event have you witnessed in your lifetime that changed the way you think about the world?

Question

For myself, visiting the Berlin Wall while Germany was divided, and looking at the armed guards at various posts along the wall gave me a sense of fear and insecurity. My childhood was filled with rhetoric about nuclear war, "US vs USSR", WW III, and the like. The fear of a post apocolyptic society as seen in "Mad Max" wasn't that far fetched.

Ten years later I would see the wall crumbling down and with it any lingering fear of riding the desert in a dune buggy looking for food disappeared. I regained hope in mankind, and I regained confidence in my belief that peace isn't the result of war.

What is one of your life changing experiences?

While I am not judging anyone for their answers, I was expecting certain recent (I will not name them) events to dominate. I am surprised at the variety of experiences! This is what I was hoping to read about!

Answer 1

The one event that changed by view of the world is watching my grandparents' battle with Alzheimer's. Seeing their brains deteriorate while their bodies remained 'healthy' has made me question the ethics and priorities of the western medical community. Their desire to keep people alive with no regards to their quality of life makes you wonder why you should put your trust into the field. It has also opened my eyes to how little the modern scientific world really knows about the biochemical functioning of the human brain and its neurological pathways. While it is true that science has made great progress in the field, they are still in the infancy stage in regards to their research. This is an area of research that holds great promise and hope to all people, especially now that as a population, we are living much longer than our ancestors.

Answer 2

The experience that changed my life the most is the day I became a parent, November 26, 1995. This may sound cliche, but this experience is the best influence that I have on what will happen in this world, simply because I am now raising a young man to be not just a good citizen, but a good leader. I take this responsibility very seriously, and so should all parents. The events that happen in the world, 9/11, Iraq, etc., are things I have very little control over, other than a vote for President, or Congress. I do have control over haw well I raise and discipline my son, however, and this is what I will be judged on ultimately.

Answer 3

The fact that our President vacationed during the first few days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. If he really doesn't care that much, then how can we expect anyone else to. It is now almost 10 months since this devastation occured. I and my family are witnessing first hand the chaos here. There are still public water leaks all over New Orleans and surrounding areas. My husband works in the inner city on the telephone lines and he takes at least two cases of water with him every day, because one is sure to be taken. I say Taken and not "stolen" because many people here still don't have the necessities they need. It's sad that people who really NEED the help can't get it. Yet, hundreds are defrauding FEMA everyday for $. And now the city has brought in the National Guard to "keep the peace", that's great sent in a bunch of people trained to kill and make war to keep the peace. I just don't see how this can work.

Answer 4

Everyday there is an opportunity for us to change and an infinite amount of experiences that can cause it. National and International events may be the first thing most people think of, but significant things happen that are unique to our own lives that can have just as much of an impact. The death of a loved one, the birth of your children, finding romantic love. All of these things effect our lives.

I have witnessed the latter of the three I mentioned. Romantic love of another. When you find another person (besides your children or family) that you love whole-heartily. She has changed the way I think about the world. Her personality forms with my own, it doesn't overwrite it or stand beside it, it merges with it.

Great and terrible things will always happen in a grand scale. They are guaranteed like taxes and war. The things we witness from day to day are just as regular and therefore just as notable.

But then again, thats just what I think

Answer 5

Well for me the answer is very easy. The overall disrespect of god. Every event that is superficial. Governments, media , most people, business. When you think about it what do we see every day?, the "rat race". Governments, not for the people for their own self serving interests, not about people, about greed. The media, they even televise the war(s), war is hell don't they realize that? Of course they do, it sells. People, most people are out for #1, simply the end of the world will come from politics, media and people. How many governments, media outlets, and people really believe what they say and stand behind it? Most things are just superficial,say if an overweight women falls down to the street, 9 out of 10 wont help her, but take a beautiful blond and let her fall down, at least 8 out of 10 would help. So everyday the overall lack of respect for god and humanity.

Answer 6

For me it was the Iran hostage crisis. For the first time I was able to experience the hypocrisy and hatred of Islamic radicals toward Americans. While in college at this time, there were hundreds of Iranian refugees attending the same school. All were children of supporters of the Shah of Iran, who was exiled by the supporters of the Ayahtollah Khomeni, who were forced to flee Iran or face death. The wealth and arrogance of these people was amazing: driving new cars, living in new homes just off campus, flaunting their wealth. When the hostages were taken, these "poor refugees" suddenly became the staunchest supporters of the Ayahtollah. They waved their Iranian flags, burned American flags and protested throughout campus about the downfall of America.

This was my first exposure to Islamic fundamentalism and political asylum, but also the first (but not last) exposure to how political persuasion in the Middle East is not based on party lines but on Allah. It did not matter that Iran and Iraq and Turkey were killing minority parties within their borders, but if someone from outside the Islamic faith said anything against their god there was a jihad to be waged.

The most ironic discovery during this period was that there was basically no difference between Christian and Muslim fundamentalists: In the name of a particular god, violence may be inflicted against those who disagree. A professor once gave a presentation on the similarities between those loyal to the Ayahtollah, the Catholic and Protestant wars in Northern Ireland, and the Ku Klux Klan. Each believed that they were defending their god and death was one tool for achieving victory. Interesting idea for our time!

Answer 7

The day President Kennedy was killed and also 9/11. I think President Kennedy made people feel there was hope in the world and made people have more confident in politicians.

9/11 changed the world completely. Children will no longer feel the freedom I felt as a child.

Answer 8

Seeing the economy of my country, Argentina, collapse in 2001 after more than ten years of half-assed free-market policies, fiscal conservatism, corrupt privatizations schemes and total economic openess (picture a woman with her legs spread), that led to the destruction of our national industry, railroads and education system, the theft of our public companies and a considerable reduction of our living standards with an increase of social inequality never seen before in this lands.
It really made me understand the importance of economics in our daily life (four years after that, it became my career choice), and the big influence that large corporations and their political lobbies have in corrupting and limiting democracy just to be able to expand their private interests and increase their profits at the expense of the rest of us.

All the political events that we witnessed this last decade should be a wake-up call for all of us, that things are not right in this world. The truth is that if we don't stand up for our rights and question how things work, if we don't question where is the justice or fairness in having starving children and rich people with many yatchs at the same time, we are doomed. If we don't speak for ourselves and try to fix things, nobody else will.

Answer 9

My innocence was shattered in 1963. I was 10 years old and in the fifth grade when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It's a day I will never forget. It's the first time I realized there is true evil in the world. I was young and naive. I thought JFK was the best thing since sliced bread. So I was devastated when he was murdered in front of millions of people watching on TV. The day is as fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday.

Answer 10

The World Trade Center on 9-11-2001 changed my whole perception of the world and how safe we are in the United States - made me realize how vulnerable we and our families can be and how we must do a huge amount of work to secure our country, including securing our borders.