Please help me to understand what it is that I need to know to change our world

[Achievable]

My name is Austin Rouse. I am a 22 year old from South Florida, USA.

I need help to understand what I need to study in order to impart immeasurable, positive, everlasting impact on our world. I am lost in the sense that I do not know what it is I need to know to pursue this desire. Due to my father’s criminal operation, which he is now imprisoned for, I lack formal education to a severe degree. I obtained my GED a little over a year ago.

Following that, I feel the need to qualify myself. I am the Founder & Inventor at LED Cultivation, Inc. I am the holder of the only patent-pending product line in the world for optimized lighting arrays for horticulture applications. I’ve assembled a large team, spanned across the globe, and established powerful connections, which should ensure I am properly funded throughout my endeavors.

I created my company with the intent to fund my interest in medical research. This includes designing/constructing a neurological/psychological/psychiatric research compound – Where the aim would be to solve the mystery of the human psyche. I believe this could lessen the negative impact of important things, such as: Intolerance, mental illness, mass-violence, war, suicide, poverty, etc.

However, I am also aware that my severe lack of formal education is an obstacle I must overcome if I am ever to be afforded the opportunity to even make a proper attempt in pursuing such a desire. My current primary interests are: Solving complex problems; Psychology; Social Engineering; Medicine; Science; Mathematics

My company is one in which, by the grace of God, I will in due time be afforded true time freedom. This will enable me to vehemently pursue education, full-time. It also looks like the company will be a fantastic source for continuous income generation. I’ve been advised that my interests are expensive, and that I was wrong in my belief that money is not important. I’ve been taught, that if I want to actualize anything that I dream about incessantly, then I am going to need to secure a method by which I can receive continuous income, while also having the time to study whatever it is that I need to study, in order to make a calculated attempt to optimize our world.

I want to be a student. I want a real education. I am merely a product of being born within a generation of incredible technological advancement, improvement in reliability regarding our connection to the internet, and continuously positive evolution of the internet as a whole. I am also obsessed with www.dictionary.com – and I passionately believe this is an integral component behind my ability to navigate information efficiently.

I will leave the discussion open with that.

With Love,
Austin Rouse

[LuckyR]

My name is Austin Rouse. I am a 22 year old from South Florida, USA.

I need help to understand what I need to study in order to impart immeasurable, positive, everlasting impact on our world. I am lost in the sense that I do not know what it is I need to know to pursue this desire. Due to my father’s criminal operation, which he is now imprisoned for, I lack formal education to a severe degree. I obtained my GED a little over a year ago.

Following that, I feel the need to qualify myself. I am the Founder & Inventor at LED Cultivation, Inc. I am the holder of the only patent-pending product line in the world for optimized lighting arrays for horticulture applications. I’ve assembled a large team, spanned across the globe, and established powerful connections, which should ensure I am properly funded throughout my endeavors.

I created my company with the intent to fund my interest in medical research. This includes designing/constructing a neurological/psychological/psychiatric research compound – Where the aim would be to solve the mystery of the human psyche. I believe this could lessen the negative impact of important things, such as: Intolerance, mental illness, mass-violence, war, suicide, poverty, etc.

However, I am also aware that my severe lack of formal education is an obstacle I must overcome if I am ever to be afforded the opportunity to even make a proper attempt in pursuing such a desire. My current primary interests are: Solving complex problems; Psychology; Social Engineering; Medicine; Science; Mathematics

My company is one in which, by the grace of God, I will in due time be afforded true time freedom. This will enable me to vehemently pursue education, full-time. It also looks like the company will be a fantastic source for continuous income generation. I’ve been advised that my interests are expensive, and that I was wrong in my belief that money is not important. I’ve been taught, that if I want to actualize anything that I dream about incessantly, then I am going to need to secure a method by which I can receive continuous income, while also having the time to study whatever it is that I need to study, in order to make a calculated attempt to optimize our world.

I want to be a student. I want a real education. I am merely a product of being born within a generation of incredible technological advancement, improvement in reliability regarding our connection to the internet, and continuously positive evolution of the internet as a whole. I am also obsessed with www.dictionary.com – and I passionately believe this is an integral component behind my ability to navigate information efficiently.

I will leave the discussion open with that.

With Love,
Austin Rouse

Ummmm... get a formal education?

[Eduk]

I am a successful business man.

[Steve3007]

I need help to understand what I need to study in order to impart immeasurable, positive, everlasting impact on our world.

I don't want to rain on your parade, but the "immeasurable" part might present you with some formidable challenges. It kind of sounds like you want to be an omnipotent god. I'd start more modestly if I were you. Perhaps a bit of charity work.

[Steve3007]

After having made an initial, superficial, sarcastic remark based on the first line of the OP, I've read the rest of it and found it quite interesting.

My two-penneth is: Don't obsess too much about formal education. Lots of very successful people have done very well without it. And, yes, money is very useful.

If you really do hold this (pending) patent for optimised lighting arrays for horticulture applications, then you need to work out how you're going to convince people that they need these particular light arrays for growing their crops. Near where I live there's a huge set of artificially lit greenhouses that are used for growing salad crops to sell in supermarkets. So there's a potential market, I presume. I'd imagine the market for that kind of thing is somewhat smaller in Florida.

[Achievable]

My name is Austin Rouse. I am a 22 year old from South Florida, USA.

I need help to understand what I need to study in order to impart immeasurable, positive, everlasting impact on our world. I am lost in the sense that I do not know what it is I need to know to pursue this desire. Due to my father’s criminal operation, which he is now imprisoned for, I lack formal education to a severe degree. I obtained my GED a little over a year ago.

Following that, I feel the need to qualify myself. I am the Founder & Inventor at LED Cultivation, Inc. I am the holder of the only patent-pending product line in the world for optimized lighting arrays for horticulture applications. I’ve assembled a large team, spanned across the globe, and established powerful connections, which should ensure I am properly funded throughout my endeavors.

I created my company with the intent to fund my interest in medical research. This includes designing/constructing a neurological/psychological/psychiatric research compound – Where the aim would be to solve the mystery of the human psyche. I believe this could lessen the negative impact of important things, such as: Intolerance, mental illness, mass-violence, war, suicide, poverty, etc.

However, I am also aware that my severe lack of formal education is an obstacle I must overcome if I am ever to be afforded the opportunity to even make a proper attempt in pursuing such a desire. My current primary interests are: Solving complex problems; Psychology; Social Engineering; Medicine; Science; Mathematics

My company is one in which, by the grace of God, I will in due time be afforded true time freedom. This will enable me to vehemently pursue education, full-time. It also looks like the company will be a fantastic source for continuous income generation. I’ve been advised that my interests are expensive, and that I was wrong in my belief that money is not important. I’ve been taught, that if I want to actualize anything that I dream about incessantly, then I am going to need to secure a method by which I can receive continuous income, while also having the time to study whatever it is that I need to study, in order to make a calculated attempt to optimize our world.

I want to be a student. I want a real education. I am merely a product of being born within a generation of incredible technological advancement, improvement in reliability regarding our connection to the internet, and continuously positive evolution of the internet as a whole. I am also obsessed with www.dictionary.com – and I passionately believe this is an integral component behind my ability to navigate information efficiently.

I will leave the discussion open with that.

With Love,
Austin Rouse

Ummmm... get a formal education?

That is quite literally obvious, and so is my inquiry. Is this content a bit out of your league? Or did you just choose to be sarcastic rather than share a response which holds merit?

I am a successful business man.

Congratulations...?

I need help to understand what I need to study in order to impart immeasurable, positive, everlasting impact on our world.

I don't want to rain on your parade, but the "immeasurable" part might present you with some formidable challenges. It kind of sounds like you want to be an omnipotent god. I'd start more modestly if I were you. Perhaps a bit of charity work.

You just rained on your own parade. I seek formidable challenges, and my team shares that passion with me. That is quite honestly the most ludicrous response I could have ever imagined someone would come up with in response to what I've shared here. I want to become an omnipotent God because I want to help solve the mystery of the human psyche, and subsequently reduce the negative impact of extremely important things...? And you think I haven't "started"...? You suggest that I be modest, yet you're insulting people to such a degree?

After having made an initial, superficial, sarcastic remark based on the first line of the OP, I've read the rest of it and found it quite interesting.

My two-penneth is: Don't obsess too much about formal education. Lots of very successful people have done very well without it. And, yes, money is very useful.

If you really do hold this (pending) patent for optimised lighting arrays for horticulture applications, then you need to work out how you're going to convince people that they need these particular light arrays for growing their crops. Near where I live there's a huge set of artificially lit greenhouses that are used for growing salad crops to sell in supermarkets. So there's a potential market, I presume. I'd imagine the market for that kind of thing is somewhat smaller in Florida.

Yes, superficial would be an understatement. I'd consider it downright insulting, rude, and disgusting behavior, personally. No, I made this whole thing up. I don't even have a company. I'm actually completely confused and have absolutely no clue what I'm doing. Since you're a guy who responds to high-level threads after only reading the first line, I don't expect you to look into me further to confirm whether or not any of this is true. Research is...possible...and readily available to you?

The response here has provided nothing but mirth. I expected high-level, calculated responses. I got a bunch of children mouthing off instead, who are likely double my age.

If someone wants to respond with some dignity, I'm happy to respond. Had any of you done some basic research, I think you'd be taking me a bit more seriously.

OPTIMIZED LED LIGHTING ARRAY FOR HORTICULTURAL APPLICATIONS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to horticultural lighting systems, and, more
particularly, relates to an arrangement of LED lighting elements in an array element to optimize light distribution, for consistency in photon distribution under the array element, and to provide spectral customization beyond what is currently available on the market today.

I completely made that up, as well. I'm glad you all think this is a joke. I take this topic extremely seriously. Maybe I was wrong in thinking this was a serious audience.

I'm actually disgusted.

[Achievable]

I am a successful business man.

Unknown, means, "not figured out yet" - by the way.

[Steve3007]

Achievable:

My genuine apologies for any offence caused. As you've said, we're a bunch of immature idiots here. Or at least, I am. I suppose I shouldn't speak for others.

But having said that, it's not clear to me what you're hoping to achieve by the information you've posted in your OP here. Do you want advice of some kind about what to do with your life? Do you want advice about which subjects to study? Do you want to talk about your business idea? When you say that you want to make an impact on the the world, what kind of impact do you want to make? Do you want to feed the hungry? Combat climate change? Help endangered species? Or something more general?

[Steve3007]

I seek formidable challenges, and my team shares that passion with me.

OK, good. Doing what?

I want to become an omnipotent God because I want to help solve the mystery of the human psyche, and subsequently reduce the negative impact of extremely important things...?

No, because you used the slightly odd words "immeasurable" and "everlasting". Nothing that a human, or team of humans, can ever do is either of these things. That was my simple point. Again, sorry that it appears to have caused such offence.

You suggest that I be modest, yet you're insulting people to such a degree?

I simply suggest that it's best not to aim for the infinite. Start with the finite. And that's not meant as an insult. Just a bit of common sense.

No, I made this whole thing up. I don't even have a company. ... I completely made that up, as well.

Just to clarify: Is the above sarcasm or did you really make it up? Before my first post here I Googled "LED Cultivation, Inc." but couldn't find it on an admittedly brief search.

Is part of your purpose here to tell us about the kind of things that this company does?

[Fooloso4]

Achievable:

I created my company with the intent to fund my interest in medical research. This includes designing/constructing a neurological/psychological/psychiatric research compound – Where the aim would be to solve the mystery of the human psyche.

An ambitious project. In what way do you think seeking comments here might help? I am reading about the rise of China. One interesting point is that Western economists, political scientists, and business consultants were all certain that China would fail unless it adopted Western political models, organizational structures, and methods. They were wrong. China found its own way. If you are going to change the world you will have to find your own way. If others could tell you how to do it they would have done it themselves.

However, I am also aware that my severe lack of formal education is an obstacle I must overcome if I am ever to be afforded the opportunity to even make a proper attempt in pursuing such a desire. My current primary interests are: Solving complex problems; Psychology; Social Engineering; Medicine; Science; Mathematics

Why do you think your lack of education is an obstacle? If you are going to build a research compound then the people you hire to do the research would have the requisite education to do that research and manage the compound. Or do you envision yourself doing all the work?

I want to be a student. I want a real education.

Are you looking for clarification on what a “real education” is? In my opinion, an education and a formal education are not always the same thing. Generally a formal education means completion of a degree program. An interdisciplinary program might be useful, but obtaining multiple degrees, some of which would have to be advanced degrees in order to do independent research, may not be the most productive use of your time and energy.

There is a great deal that can be learned that will help in gaining some perspective of the fields that interest you without entering a formal academic degree program. This could be supplemented by taking particular classes to fill in gaps.

[LuckyR]

Ummmm... get a formal education?

That is quite literally obvious, and so is my inquiry. Is this content a bit out of your league? Or did you just choose to be sarcastic rather than share a response which holds merit?

Neither. It sounded to me like you know the answer to your question and you were looking to see if others agreed with you. I agree with the implied answer in your red statement (as I wrote).

If you have another point to make I am happy to hear it.

[chewybrian]

The response here has provided nothing but mirth. I expected high-level, calculated responses. I got a bunch of children mouthing off instead, who are likely double my age.

If someone wants to respond with some dignity, I'm happy to respond. Had any of you done some basic research, I think you'd be taking me a bit more seriously.

OPTIMIZED LED LIGHTING ARRAY FOR HORTICULTURAL APPLICATIONS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to horticultural lighting systems, and, more
particularly, relates to an arrangement of LED lighting elements in an array element to optimize light distribution, for consistency in photon distribution under the array element, and to provide spectral customization beyond what is currently available on the market today.

I completely made that up, as well. I'm glad you all think this is a joke. I take this topic extremely seriously. Maybe I was wrong in thinking this was a serious audience.

I'm actually disgusted.

I think you got some serious responses, but you were perhaps surprised by them. You are asking in the question in a philosophy forum, so you must consider what that implies. People are going to come at it from very different perspectives--some harshly scientific, some religious, some 'mystic' and some with a wild mix of all kinds of ideas.

Consider the example of Diogenes the stoic and Alexander the Great. Alexander sought out and found Diogenes for a 'meet and greet'. He found Diogenes wearing his cloak and laying on his large clay bucket, thus in use of both (all) of his worldly possessions. As probably the richest and most powerful man in the world, Alexander asked Diogenes what gift he could bestow upon him, and Diogenes responded that he could move to the side just a bit, so he would not block his sunlight.

So, if I answer from the perspective that Alexander was lost and Diogenes had found the answers, you might expect my answer to be off center from the norm, and perhaps it will be. Most answers in a forum like this will seem odd unless the source and motivations are considered.

The question of 'How can I change the world?' is likely to be met here with great skepticism and perhaps outright contempt, as it seems flawed. It includes the idea that one could change the world, when one of the cornerstones of many philosophies is that one can not. Philosophy requires an honest assessment of reality (though the lens through which one views reality may be quite clouded). It's obvious that almost all of us will be virtual unknowns in a hundred years, much less a thousand. And, those who might even be remembered might be remembered for the wrong things, as in Alexander's case. Despite advancements in technology, the world remains unchanged in many ways.

I'm not sure what basic research you expect of us in order to answer your question. I googled the company name, and found it has no web presence, and nobody is discussing it. The headquarters is a house. So, all I can tell is you incorporated, and I'll take your word that you have a patent, but I can see no evidence of the rest. But, recalling Diogenes, I would not be impressed either way.

I would say that the posturing and drama shown is evidence that you have some work to do on the inside before moving on to change the outside world. We all do, and this is where great work begins. Looking outside yourself for success and happiness is Alexander's strategy, and there is never a payoff, never satisfaction. Diogenes knew that the only way to have all you want is to decide that all you want is what you already have. My advice in response to your question is to consider that path. Here is a great place to begin:

http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html

Blast away if you wish, but I only tried to do as you asked and consider your question thoughtfully. You may dislike the answer or consider it harsh, but it is only straight truth as I see it. That is what people seek in a philosophy forum, and that's what I am trying to give you as best I am able. I wish you luck in your journey. I'll say once more that the answers are within, not without. I wish I was able to see this when I was your age. This is the advice I would like to go back and give to my 22 year old self if I could.

[Eduk]

Very well written chewy.

[Burning ghost]

My answer to everything is education.

Go see the world, understand firsthand the difficulties people deal with (I’m sure you can imagine already, but firsthand experience cannot be substituted for reported experiences.)

If you’re 22 then pick a subject and get a degree. You can likely find some degree that covers a broad number of topics. Either way todays world you really cannot go wrong with some subject that uses hard science.

If you’re business is stable enough then expand and develop it. If you’re looking to expand into other areas and employ scientists then ... tricky! Research costs a lot and with little payback.

If the load of running your business isn’t too heavy then some form of engineering makes sense. I’d push HARD toward anything you think can help educate people globally, cheaply (or free) and by which you can actually make some profit to expand - khanacademy is one example of how this can be done.

Other than that you need to continue to bounce your thoughts around on this and other forums. It might prove fruitful even if it simply helps you to clarify your vision of where you want to get to - some idiot on a forum may even spark an idea or say something useful (I wouldn’t hold your breath though!)

[ktz]

I'll focus on the original question, since I find it interesting and I suppose I am on a path that seeks similar answers. I'm inclined to side with OP in any drama that ensued, since I believe it takes more courage to admit insufficiency than to provide mocking quips chiding young seekers of noble goals, and I generally prefer to side with those who open themselves to a higher degree of vulnerability -- as Nassim Taleb characterizes, those with "skin in the game". I can understand the urge to call out vagueness or to sort of "put an uppity young'un in their place", but I feel like it's generally more constructive to engage strangers in good faith rather than unnecessary cleverness, and to answer even questions with too limited or too broad scope to the best of our ability.

Please note that I am quite opinionated, but there are likely many paths to your goals and my recommendations are certainly not dogmatic constraints -- I encourage you to develop your own path (and share with other truth seekers as you get there!)

In terms of a very general answer to the idea of developing a "real education" --

I would recommend a self-evaluation in four core skills that I deem as providing a solid foundation for someone who seeks to make effective change -- what a friend of mine once characterized as, "mind body soul will" -- i.e.,
1) mind -- autodidacticism techniques (which you seem to have a handle on),
2) body -- the discipline to maintain physical fitness through good routines in terms of sleep, nutrition, and daily exercise,
3) soul -- communication/leadership skills (both listening and sharing esp. in adversarial contexts, see Dale Carnegie), and
4) will -- the ability to persist in the face of challenges difficult obstacles without succumbing to cynicism/sarcasm/negativity, 7 deadly sins, or the comfortable plateaus of generalized incompetence.

I think a foundation in these four core skills feels like a prerequisite for the highest levels achievement that one can aspire to, and I can specify so many good specific resources if you are interested in any of this line of thinking in these 4 directions. Typical business books e.g. anything Stephen Covey, anything that references "Soft Skills", or specialized stuff like the War of Art seek to develop these kinds of skills which seem to be at least somewhat correlated to success in the modern world. Of these four qualities, a formal education generally only provides opportunities for networking, useless without a good foundation in communication skills, and willpower in the form of the discipline to achieve established goals, even though outside of STEM fields these goals can actually be a bit tedious and not necessarily constructive uses of time in and of themselves.

I think a couple of core epiphanies (in no way comprehensive and mostly just off the top of my head) that may help you in navigating change in a modern Trump-era environment would include --

-- the fundamental attribution error, and taking care to address systemic problems rather than blaming human responses to systemic problems -- see aaron swartz's 7th article in his solid raw nerve series (RIP bro).
-- the nature of telescopic evolution, google for professor healy's video from waking life
-- Frankl's dimensional ontology, (coming out of and understanding that people are more than the sum of their data points, can create conflicting/incomplete pictures based on projections data points, and understanding why denouncing or characterizing someone based on data points will always be missing higher dimensional information (ie trying to discriminate against). And checking out reductionism/logical positivism for the opposing view which can be significantly more efficient but also much more destructive and unethical
-- issues with teleological geopolitical machinations -- I now recommend adam curtis as an entry point since he has some nice free accessible documentaries on thoughtmaybe like Hypernormalization and the Power of Nightmares that I feel like serve as a good introduction here. I started with kleinbl00's red pill reading list (before the term got coopted by crazies) before getting into meatier stuff like chomsky's who rules the world (accessible) or manufactured consent (somewhat inaccessible), modern nonfiction by authors like Michelle Alexander and Tim Wu, and most recently Habermas's theory of communicative action.

Moving deeper into philosophical/political economy territory, I think a few of the core modern systemic problems that may be helpful to understand are -- tragedy of the commons, rent seeking, filter bubble, and the logic of collective action, since in my view if our species can't wrap our head around these very critical problems and their impacts on actually lethal threats like climate change, sixth extinction, antibiotic resistance, and the kind of existential political unrest that you get from too few actors capturing too much of the growth.

Specialized knowledge is obviously useful as well, but like that one admin commented generally requires a better understanding of your background and specific goals to be effective.

Is this more in the direction of what you're looking for?