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On impact | Alexey Guzey 

advice•essay•View Source
Appreciation
7
Importance
6
Date Added
9.15.25
TLDR
Looking back on history, we have no clue what kind of impact anything or anyone really had in the long term, nor will we know our own impact. So “what should we do with our lives? ... (1) Do what you must (obviously), and (2) Do what you love (because otherwise life's not worth living anyway).”
2 Cents
Great food for thought, though I disagree with the premise. I agree with the conclusion: do what you must and do what you love. For what it's worth, I think more people worry too much about impact than too little, so I recommend the read.
Tags

My take:

  1. Set the time frame when you say "long term." Estimations of impact always has a timeline assigned to it. In the limit, it literally doesn't matter whether you are Hitler or Jesus, we are irrelevant specks in the universe. So most people (including myself) make estimations regarding estimate with a much shorter time frame, usually with what people can see within their lifetime.
    1. Can you really tell me that doing something for my family has "no impact"? What does impact in the "long term" even mean?
  2. There's also different kinds of impact. Being a great father or brother or mentor can be huge and meaningful.
  3. Alexey seems cynical in the essay, kind of like how when you think too much about the meaning of your life , it's probably a symptom of depression.

With that being said, I enjoyed the read.