The moment of truth, I find a quote that fits my life:
So, what has this week of quotes meant to me? Well, change is afoot and I am trembling with anticipation of walking down a new path. Mainly because sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option. The small pushes I make are no longer enough, because I want to fit into the skin that I wear so clearly, and because I see the potential of a new world that so many of us are standing up and shouting for. It’s hard to keep up with the same “rinse and repeat” actions when you see that they are not doing anything useful for the collective “Us”. Nothing is ever finished, as it can always be made better through the lens of experience.
NYTimes ran a magazine piece, “Why Would You Ever Give Money Through Kickstarter?” , and it’s one that I saved because the message expressed so much of what I feel about Kickstarter and the Internet in general for collaboration. I actually went back to the online version (I read it in the weekend paper version), and found an amazing comment for a Kickstarter named Sarah that speaks of the selflessness of people who believe in dreams. Here’s the part that got to me:
So I’ve decided to do something to take the stress out of things: however short you are of your goal at, let’s say, two days from the end-date, I’ll throw in an additional pledge for whatever is needed to reach your target (and, of course, deliver once it’s been reached).
That way, you know the funding is going to happen. You can concentrate on what you’ll do with the funds rather than sweat on whether you’ll get them.
Please don’t fuss about why I’m doing this (from this distance, psychological satisfaction is mostly all I can ask for). Even I couldn’t really tell you “why”. It’s not like $1,400+more is small change to me (though I wish it were) if that’s what I end up sending. It’s more that, for reasons I can’t quite explain, I have a strong desire for this to end well for you and for the communities and people you’ve been working with.
The article’s writer, Rob Trump, sums it up perfectly in one sentence:
“Kickstarter as a phenomenon is made much more comprehensible once you realize that it’s not following the logic of the free market; it’s following the logic of the gift.“
I’m constantly reminded by others to look after No. 1 (me). But if I’m so busy doing that, aren’t I missing the chance to make the world around No. 1 even better so that I’m happier, as are others around me? It’s this reasoning that explains how I’ve always made decisions. By not looking out for No. 1, I actively make a choice to put others ahead of me. Sure, it’s not an easy position to hold, but it provides me with satisfaction that I am providing my best to get the best in return. Not because I expect a return, but because others want to reciprocate in kind. To me, this reciprocation is what makes us stronger…the act of collaborating for the greater good.
