Why are some who want to change the world, actually very self-absorbed?

Question

Our world does need change, and I admire those who want to make things better. What I find irritating though, is those who use their causes as an excuse to be oblivious to other viewpoints, and self-righteous and dismissive of those who don't "measure up".

If they are so open-minded and tolerant, then why are they so clueless about basic intelligence and social skills?

Answer 1

These people are always looking for ways to feed their bottomless egos - witness Obama and Edwards.  They are emotionally disturbed.  Everything is always all about them.

Answer 2

Mainly because they think they are right.  Everyone wants to think he is right in his views and actions but often they are deceived.  People for the most part are selfish and think only of their own egos.  Take foreigners for example.  They want to come to the U.S. for a better life but yet they still want to bring their old country along with them.  They try to change our government and laws to suit the way they want to live instead of adapting to our way of life.  They want to speak their own tongues, live in their own communities and eat the foods they are used to eating.  If they love their own country why don't they go back there and change their own government.  I'm not against foreigners, all I'm saying is that we as a country should have our own laws and values and anyone who wants to live in this country should adapt and live by our laws and values instead of changing our laws to suit their wants. They are changing the world but is it for the better?  They think so but not everyone thinks so.  Why should we here in the U.S., having our own set of laws and values suddenly have to change our style of government to that of Mexican or African or some other country.  If people migrating to the U.S. love their country and their speech so much that they don't want to change, why don't they move back to their country.    

Answer 3

Social ineptness, Watson.  

Answer 4

i agree, a lot of these peeps are so self-righteous that it actually threatens your average person away from their theories because it would be too hard to live up to their standards - everything has to change in degrees (like global warming, haha)

Answer 5

You mean elitists?

The word speaks for itself.

Answer 6

It's actually fairly simple.  Open minded individuals are willing to take things as they are, and accept the world the way they find it.

It takes a certain kind of self-absorbed person to assume that the world will change just to suit one person, and it takes an even more self-absorbed individual to assume that if the world isn't changing to suit them, they should go about making the world change.

Some folks have gotten some idea of good and bad so ingrained in them that they cannot think differently.  Religious, or political upbringings can do this, as can traumatic experiences.  This can cloud ones' thinking into denying any compromise between issues that are really not such a big deal.

Others latch onto some real, although not necessarily very important issue they think they can tackle, like drunk driving, or treating animals humanely, and then something happens to them.  Maybe they start getting money for it, and are swept up in the success.  Maybe they make a career out of it, and when a reasonable person should move on, they don't see how they could transfer their skills to any other job.  Maybe, like most problems, it turns out to be a lot bigger and more serious than they first thought, and because they're focused on that one problem, they forget there are other problems, or they just don't see how they as a person could do anything for the other issues.

Some people call it assertiveness.  Others call it bigotry, but the only real difference between the two is that bigots end up making changes for the worse.

Answer 7

i want ot change the world too, but ihave been told that im self absorbed.

Well h**l, who cares!!!!!

Answer 8

Meglomania

Answer 9

yeah,i've noticed this too...from what i can see people who usually want to change the world usually want to change it so it simply fits their idea of what the world should be...kinda stupid,the world is many different things to many different people.

And of course such people are somewhat self absorbed,even those of genuine character and intentions need a bit of an ego in order to entertain such grand notions of changing the world,such a task isnt really for the weak and bashful,you know.Its just unfortunate that once such people get a stage to express themselves all humility,and as you say intelligence and social skill are thrown out the window....they just become one of the many people over the years who have been given such a chance  to fall into the trap of believing there bigger than the cause they originally championed.its sad,but its human nature....power trips and all that.