Ralph Nader’s Best Advice to Students

My old boss has given this advice to students. Feel free to pass it on.

One morning when you are middle aged, you may wake up feeling hollow inside. You will be financially successful and have a good professional reputation. But there still will be that hollow feeling. You will wonder, “What am I doing with my life?” “Is that all there is?”

Ralph would say that you can avoid felling hollow and find fulfillment by engaging in public service and by helping society and other people. I would add that you need to work on your spiritual growth. You need to pay attention to your interior life.

A few weeks ago, I read a long newspaper article about a well-known movie actor. Despite his success, he was stuck. Why bother making another it movie? He was asking that familiar question, “Is that all there is?” Nowhere in the article did I see any mention of his engaging in social causes or helping others. Perhaps an editor cut out that part of the story; I don’t know—but maybe not.

I suspect that if that actor used some of his considerable influence to further a social cause or to help others, his malaise would evaporate.

(ljs)