World Changing Visions
Rudolfo Anaya was a writer who had a keen insight about his own vision of change, the world as it is, and what it can become. He said that he could use his writing to describe his vision of the world. But what does vision really mean? Did he simply have an idea of how he’d like things to be, or did he actually have a plan for long term change in mind? Several questions arise from this idea of changing the world. How does one change the world? Are people really fit to make decisions like that? People grow old and die, but an ideas last forever, and a clear and responsible vision for change is destined to eventually cause change, good or bad.


Positive change must start with a new idea like Adolf Hitler’s idea that people could be bred into a super-race. This has some validity; all races have different qualities, and there aren’t two human races that can’t mate. The problem with Hitler’s idea was that he jumped to conclusions; humans can’t be bred to perfection, but that didn’t stop people from believing that he would provide them a new, perfect society. A practiced dog expert can breed a perfect dog, in ten to twenty years, but humans are simply too complex to be changed that easily. No one had ever heard of people being categorized in a way like this before, and people were simply too surprised by the idea to realize how Hitler was going to use it; slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people. In this way, Hitler had a good, new idea to inspire people with, but obviously the uniqueness of his idea wasn’t enough to create a positive impact. He could have said something like, “The true genius of the human race is that we don’t all have to be the same person. If we fight each other, then we all lose, but when we join together we are unstoppable, because there is no one left who is against us. The differences in people are what will bring us to greatness.” Hitler had a good idea, “All people are different, and it is unique in our species that all of our types can coexist,” and he had a good vision, “When I’m done with my plan, there will be one perfect super-race that will be perfectly happy,” but to get from a good idea to fruition of a vision, you definitely need a good plan.

What is a vision? A vision is the end game that says, “When I am done, things will work this way from now on.” No one will ever change the world if they don’t have some vision that people are willing to believe in, because that way the ends justify the means. If someone speaks out to say, “If you listen to me, everything will be sunshine and rainbows,” or, “I will dominate the whole planet, and everyone will be my slave,” then no one will want to help you, weather that was really your plan, or you had something else in mind. A vision has to be inspiring, and reasonable, but the problem with most people who want to change the world, is that all they have is a vision. They go to the public with their vision and say, “We will no longer live underground, and our water will be clean, and we will reduce government corruption,” and the public replies, “You haven’t shown us why, or how we can believe you, or even inspired us to listen.” A plan for change, without a vision, is like a road trip without a destination, and vice versa.

The next important thing is to have a plan, that allows you to accomplish you’re goals. If your vision is you and your friends going to the park, and your idea you’re car, then your plan is what gets you to your destination in a linear manner; you will need fuel, a competent driver, and directions to get there. If you decide to go to the park that is six miles away and you forgot to bring gas, find directions, renew your driver’s license, but you convinced your friends to come along with you, then the police will say to you, “You knew what you wanted, you had an idea of how you’d get it, but you messed up my going beyond your capabilities. So falling on your face and taking your friends down with you was inevitable.” The plan is the most difficult thing to create well, which is why most people who attempt something too complex will fail. Unfortunately, a plan is the least important part in convincing people to believe in your visions, which is why so many world-changing events didn’t happen; someone who was charismatic enough to influence a mass of people forgot to ask help with what they couldn’t accomplish on their own.
The final key required to changing the world is a symbol of power, action, or importance. Once one has a beginning, middle, and end to a story, and is able to publish the book, they just need a flashy cover to get people to pick it up. A symbol could be the demolishing of a building, the banging of a judge’s gavel, the cutting of a ribbon, or the downfall of a villain. Fireworks, ceremonies, signatures, and oaths are all examples of symbols we use today. When people listen to you, and like what you are saying, you want them to follow through with what you’ve said. So that’s why it’s more effective to make an action that end with a statement. A symbol can even be an actual symbol, from a logo, to a flag. Nothing inspires people more than, after hearing a great speech, having a mental picture to signify the importance, with which they attach all of their faith. Symbols are like a sunrise that beams, “This is a new day of hope.”
To change the world, people need to have an idea, a vision of what they want, a plan to make it all work, and a symbol to make people believe in their cause. They have to have good intentions; things that make the world better. They need strong morals, and a foolproof plan. The vital role a visionary plays is to encourage other people to believe what they want to believe, and the key word is belief. Belief in your own vision is vital, and nothing can help you more than belief in yourself.