The Importance of Being Remembered

This article came to form after reading Chris Ducker’s book, Virtual Freedom, and coming across a subheading of the same title. The paragraph that followed went like this:

Why are you ultimately thinking about creating content? It’s to be remembered. It’s to be seen as a leader or a go-to source in your industry — someone who is trustworthy and knowledgeable. You want to be seen as the one person to whom fans, followers, and customers turn when they need answers, support, motivation, or entertainment.

To give some context, this book was written for business owners considering hiring a virtual staff, but I argue that it could roughly be applied to anyone if we replace “content” with “rapport” and “industry” with “circle”.

This got me thinking about two things: One, that our egos crave attention and whisper to us that we deserve to be recognized. Two is that we as humans among billions do not want to be forgotten. We want to be remembered even when we are absent from the discussion. I think these are conversation starters for why we want to be remembered and the ones I will cover, even though I do not believe they tell the whole story.

Why We Want To Be Remembered

One example of our egos at work can be found in the writings of Dale Carnegie. In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Carnegie states the following:

Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language…The average person is more interested in their own name than in all the other names in the world put together.

He also reminds the reader frequently that we all crave the need to be recognized and feel important. Remembering someone’s name after a period of isolation goes a long way, but nevertheless proves that we are infatuated with ourselves.

I want to clear up that there is nothing wrong with having whatever you call an ego. Recalling our title, I think it is important for us to try to leave an impression on others and be remembered because it fuels us to be better people. What you get in return is a rush of endorphins from performing a good deed or hearing about yourself. Why not make yourself and others feel great? At the end of the day however, it’s important to keep ourselves in check and maintain a healthy balance. This is one principle I live by.

Do You Want To Be Remembered?

As I mentioned before, most of us would like to not be forgotten after we pass. If we are honest with ourselves, many of us enjoy the idea of having a large attendance at our funerals. However, just because the attendance would be large doesn’t mean that we would want just about anyone to be there. We would only want those whom we made an impression on and who left an impression on us.

One topic investor Tai Lopez covers in one of his programs is living a Ghandi lifestyle. One that leads to the mourning of your passing by millions because of the people we have touched. Though I find it hard for all of us to achieve a life of that caliber, that should not shy us away from trying. Even if it’s within your circle, make your actions a reflection of who you are and add your grain of rice to the world.

Different Ways To Be Remembered

Now, how exactly do we achieve this Ghandi-style funeral? Some suggestions I’ve heard are to:

Embrace Different Kinds Of Education

Make it a habit to learn from everyone. There is so much to learn outside of formal education. Socrates himself said, “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” He was wise enough to know that we can at least learn one thing from anyone. As Socrates, so should you attempt to open your ears up to your grandparents, the homeless, or any position “below you”. This suggestion will reward you with the image of a humble and admirable person.

Innovate and Experiment

Allow me to steer towards the side of business and entrepreneurship for a bit. The word entrepreneur, as it was coined by economist Richard Cantillon, literally means “bearer of risk.” That is especially true for those engaged in social entrepreneurship. According to Roger Martin and Sally Osberg in their book, Getting Beyond Better, social entrepreneurs “can be contrasted with both social service providers [e.g. Mother Teresa] and social advocates [e.g., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.] in that social entrepreneurs both take direction and seek to transform the existing system.”

Who is arguably one of the most recognized innovators of recent years? Elon Musk. I think trying to create a world that revolves around solar and electrical energy deserves some recognition as social entrepreneurship and I argue that he will definitely be remembered.

By innovating and creating we have the ability to create change and impact for a few or many. You can innovate in your community as well. Create for the benefit of many as well as yourself. Start a bike-sharing service, invent the next do-hicky, or start the next unicorn.

Help Those In Need

This is an easy one to follow. Try volunteering at your local food pantry. Donate to a charitable cause. Think St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the American Cancer Society (sorry, had to put in my plug), or Pencils of Promise. If you’re in school join a service club or if you’re already in the workforce sign up your coworkers for a charitable 5K run.

Given the nature and extent of stress and complexity throughout the world today, you may ask, “What can I do? What can only a few of us do?” Those are fair questions. I suggest that the following quote by Margaret Mead be kept in mind: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” You too can make a difference. In your family. In your community. In the world. Be remembered.

What I realized is that for me it’s about creating a lasting impression on those around me. It’s about being remembered for the good I have done and the success I created, not only for myself, but again, for those around me. I’ve always been charitable, but I also enjoy the recognition. That is just me.

Why try to be remembered? Because it will help you lead a life of reciprocal altruism and make you feel good along the way. At the end of the day it’s important to remember that there’s no better way to be remembered than as yourself.

So why do you want to be remembered? And for what?