If you know a person who is important but not treated as important does that make that person not important??

Question

say there is a prisoner who has saved the planet, such as superman and has done so many times. If this prisoner was mistreated, and not taken care of at all and had to rely on outside sources of help, would he not be strengthening the outside help to a degree not detectable by the captures meaning, they wont see the help due to the nature of the prison and wardens?

Answer 1

There is good and bad in everyone.  And everyone is important in the big picture (the whole Butterfly Effect).  But the term "important" person is something that is decided by society.  Important people make a big effect on society.  So no I don't think criminals are important people.  I also don't think anyone who "saved the planet" (in a way more important than recycling or buying a hybrid) would be in jail for a crime.  And prisoners would not see outside help b/c breaking someone out of jail is illegal.  That outside help would merely join superman in jail.

But if he isn't even important enough to the prison wardens for them to recognize his significance, he is not important.  The only difference is POW b/c the person's benefit to society is completely depending on what society you are in.  To the Brits, James Bond is amazing.  To the other people, he merely blows up their property.

Answer 2

If that person is important to you, then I guess they are important.....To you!