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When you do things right, people won’t be sure that you have done anything at all.
~God (in Futurama)
So.
This is a business and Life lesson from Futurama of all places.
Doing what you are supposed to do, and doing it well, is one of the most underappreciated abilities in the world. Mostly because it isn’t noticed. Why the hell wouldn’t someone notice “things going right? <you may ask>.
Well. Most of us just expect things to go well and only notice when it doesn’t. We expect, well, competence.
Anyway. In case you have forgotten … Futurama was one of those random Fox sci-fi based animated shows in the early 2000’s. Typical of that genre <Simpsons & Family Guy> when the writers wrote a good show it was a frickin’ great show, conversely, and when they missed, they really missed <by galaxies in this case>.
Regardless.
I loved the premise behind this series … it follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who, after being unwittingly cryogenically frozen for one thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the retro-futuristic 31st century.
Anyway.
The quote. Here’s the entire conversation:
The Galaxy God: Bender, being God isn’t easy. If you do too much, people get dependent on you, and if you do nothing, they lose hope. You have to use a light touch. Like a safecracker, or a pickpocket.
Bender: Or a guy who burns down a bar for the insurance money!
The Galaxy God: Yes, if you make it look like an electrical thing.
When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.
Well. Regardless of whether this thought is delivered from some animated galaxy God or not … this thought is a big thought <which, I imagine, is the reason why they had the god character deliver it>. It is a Life truth. It is a truth that many of the really great things in life are easy to miss, really easy to mistake as nothing, and yet they are … well … “right.” Everything is just in its place as if it belonged there all the time <and no one put it there or that way>.
My point? Goodness … heck … greatness … whether we like it or not … is stealthy. Even the big stuff can be quite stealthy. And ponder this. The people most likely to make things right <without anyone noticing> are also the same people who are most likely to offer small acts of kindness <which can be more effective than doing great, drastic actions> that ground the ‘no one really notice good stuff’ with a true ‘doing things right’ selflessness.
Easy to miss … easy to mistake … when everything is great.
Oh.
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The corollary thought to what I just typed is ‘things that are noticed.’
Sometimes if you try and accomplish huge, world-changing things … they become engulfed in the spotlight. Yup. In the business of what you do, or are attempting, you gather well intended good supporters, sometimes even large groups of supporters. Unfortunately, even though this is good stuff with good intentions more often than not you inevitably also gain people along the way who disagree <in some way> and even though a minority — they are loud.
And from that grows conflict.
And doing things right actually becomes debated.
And the debate is often in the nuance.
<note: that is kinda nuts when you think about it>
And the spotlight & the conflict not only bring notice but bring along the inevitable destruction of what is good & right. That, right there, is the argument for & the reason why great shit happens an no one notices. People who want to do great shit knows that being noticed tends to destroy ‘good shit’ and spotlights, in general, draw people who like spotlights and not necessarily doing what is right.
Cynically I could suggest now that what is better to do is perform the small acts … the ones that are unnoticeable by the mainstream public therefore you avoid the conflict.
But. I am not that cynical.
Doing things right isn’t about small … nor large … its just about doing the right things the right way. The kinds of things if you do it right … really right … people will not really be sure that you’ve done anything at all.
Now.
In today’s bombastic world it can become a bad thing if no one notices.
Why? <insert ‘huh?!?’ also> Because someone else at the same time is telling everyone what they did … and yes … unfortunately … often the squeaky wheel does get the grease.
Aw heck. Here is the truth that good people know. The value of doing the right thing is never in the credit. And we need to remind ourselves of that more often.
I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.
Little things can matter. A subtle touch can create the needed ripples. And you can be the initiator, instigator or implementer … or even all of them … and it doesn’t really matter.
In fact.
How do you know when you not only did the right thing … but did it right?
No one notices.
Well.
How is that for Life & business advice?
Don’t be noticed <but always do the right thing well>.
<Note: I will not be making millions writing that book>
Being good <or God> isn’t easy.
You always have to be ‘doing,’ and yet you always have to not be noticed.
Your reward?
Things are done right.
And people believe they did it themselves.
By the way. I will note that is also called “character.”
That said … I could have easily used the infamous character quote … “character is what you do when no one is looking.” But I didn’t. On purpose. Because the Futurama quote is a stronger point about character. It takes it one step further. Character is doing the right thing and not being noticed. You are a facilitator for good and what is right. And have the strength, an inner strength, to just do what you do with no recognition … no outside stimulus.
You just do.
Yup.
Don’t be noticed <but always do the right thing well>. People won’t be sure that you have done anything at all.
But who cares? Being good <or doing the right thing> isn’t really about anyone noticing.
I know. I know. But if no one notices then, well, in today’s world I may get screwed. You know what I say? Being good isn’t easy, but you sleep well at night.
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This post was originally published on EnlightenedConflict.com and is republished with the author’s permission.
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