Good Humans
This list could be endless. There are so many incredible, wonderful, loving, kind, compassionate, intelligent, hardworking, and creative people in this world. So many humans past and present have contributed positively to our collective human existence. Most of humanity are good people. We are all flawed in different ways but on average humanity is overwhelmingly good. This is the REAL Will of the People. The overall contribution to humanity is quite positive. (The big problem is that humanity has never evolved beyond authoritarian government dynamics. So much of government has been, unfortunately, overwhelmingly evil, violent, corrupt, greedy, hateful, and authoritarian for thousands of years. This is what must change. Humanity needs democratic republics. And democratic republican political power must be relentlessly shared equally between all voters at all levels of government for every single issue. The REAL Will of the People must be relentlessly openly, honestly, and transparently sourced and implemented. This is what humanity has never done. And we will get there with the Online Political Evolution on Voter Directed Network.)
Humanity is overwhelmingly good. In my life alone, for example, the number of strangers that I’ve share a positive moment, smile, or conversation with are innumerable. There are millions of people that have built and maintain the roads I’ve traveled on and buildings I’ve entered. There are artists, creatives, technicians, cleaners, and security teams behind innumerable paintings, photographs, exhibits, poems, performances, music events, parks, movies, television shows, and experiences I have enjoyed. There are millions of humans that have contributed in some way to- planting, growing, harvesting, transporting, processing, cooking- the food I’ve eaten. There are helpers- so many helping professionals and otherwise compassionate humans that have made the world a better place in ways I’ve experienced directly and indirectly. The many hundreds of personal friends, family, and members of my various communities and organizations that have a positive impact on me are far too numerous to name individually. The millions of humans who have designed, crafted, engineered, shipped, and assembled the numerous things we buy and consume. The different ways humanity labors, works, and expends so many different types of energy for other humans is absolutely amazing. I’m so deeply and honestly thankful for all of it. It’s infinite. Human is connected positively in so many different and beautiful ways.
This is why taking a moment (or moments) every day to project honest and humble thankfulness for all of the positive contributions of all of humanity- alive and dead- is such an important exercise.
When you realize that truly BILLIONS of humans past and present have contributed positively to humanity in ways that directly and indirectly have made your life better- the only way you can respond is gratitude. Following this sense of gratitude is then, usually, a wonderfully compassionate desire to pay it forward and contribute to this perpetual mosaic of human positivity. Contribute in any way you can. Because you must also deeply know and believe that NO positive contribution is too small and they all matter to the positive experience of humanity. For example, compliments and acts of verbal kindness take literal seconds of your time and, most of the time, have HUGE positive consequences.
Any way, there is no overall order to this list. Obviously, the humans that make the biggest impact on any individual’s life are the humans you spend the most time around- family, friends, local communities etc. This is of course the same for me. So this is mostly a list of humans I have not met and I do not personally know (but would love to meet if they are still alive). Nevertheless, the first listed humans have made a very big, very positive impact on my life. Some of these humans are alive, some are dead. All of the humans, groups, and institutions listed below are flawed and made plenty of mistakes. Some mistakes we know about, some mistakes we do not. But overall, I feel that these humans, groups, and institutions are/were good, have contributed to make the world a better place, and have made a positive impact on my life:
Fred Rogers
Steve Irwin
Bob Ross
LeVar Burton
Ms. Rachel
Robert Greenleaf
Brené Brown
Ryan Holiday
Jesse Wells
Billy Joe Armstrong
Green Day
Bruce Springsteen
Peter, Paul, and Mary
Oliver Anthony
Robert Reich
Daryl Davis
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King jr.
Jesus Christ (Yeshua)
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Harry Truman
Jimmy Carter
Marcus Aurelius
Comedians
Robin Williams
Jim Carrey
Jon Stuart
Stephen Colbert
Josh Johnson
Jim Gaffigan
Tom Segura
Michelle Wolf
Taylor Tomlinson
Bo Burnham
George Carlin
Tina Fey
Amy Poehler
Will Ferrell
Adam Sandler
Steve Carell
Jimmy Fallon
Pete Lee
Jeff Arcuri
Jordan Peele
Kegan-Michael Key
Other Entertainers
Anyone associated with the following TV shows, Movies, and franchises: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Bluey, Holiday/Spring/ Summer/Halloween Baking Championships, Alone, so MANY sports events and teams and athletes and broadcasters, the Matrix, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.
Bill Russell
Michael Wilbon
Tony Kornheiser
Keanu Reeves
Paul Rudd
Kelly Clarkson
The Beatles
Bob Marley
John Legend
Donald Glover
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard
Leslie Odom Jr.
Ben Platt
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Tom Holland
Zendaya
Samuel L Jackson
Nick Offerman
Aubrey Plaza
Jenna Ortega
Denzel Washington
Ewan McGregor
Harrison Ford
Mark Hamill
Hugh Jackman
Patrick Stewart
Ian McKellen
Sean Astin
Elijah Wood
Daniel Radcliffe
Emma Watson
Rupert Grint
Alan Rickman
Morgan Freeman
Andrew Lloyd Webber
William Shakespeare
Ralph Fiennes
Jennifer Hudson
Viola Davis
Zac Brown Band
Snoop Dogg
Tophouse
The Wood Brothers
Dolly Parton
Dick Van Dyke
Queen
Susan Boyle
Randy Newman
Sarah Hester Ross
The Black Keys
Jackson 5
Bruno Mars
Pharrell Williams
Mumford and Sons
Pink
Lady Gaga
Idina Menzel
Ludwig van Beethoven
Imagine Dragons
Benson Boone
Hozier
Taylor Swift
Flogging Molly
Bob Dylan
My Chemical Romance
Fall Out Boy
Johnny Nash
Bill Withers
Bob Seger
Woody Guthrie
Steve Goodman
E.E. Cummings
Maya Angelou
Walt Whitman
Celia Martinez
Whitney Hanson
Button Poetry
Post High School Education:
Dr. Jason Howard
Dr. Janet Holter; Dr. Debra Daehn Zellmer, Connie Fossen
Dr Jessica H. Darrow, Dr. Debra Gorman Smith, Dr. Harold Pollack
Tom Thibodeau
Mark Sanders
Viterbo University
University of Chicago
So many friends and family members and people from my childhood.
And there are so many more whose names belong on this list and whose names I will never know…