Mini project #5: Kristofer Dorsey

I think there is three huge “factors” that come in to play of why people want to leave a legacy. The first reason I think is “self-worth.” The second is the thought of “what you did here affects the future.” And last but not least, the last one is “being remembered”. I will break down each aspect in this writing to get further detail look in why people want to have a legacy.
Self-worth: One of the reason people want to leave a legacy is self-worth. While they are here (on this earth), they want the feeling of belonging and importance. They want to do things where people would either marvel at amazement or be grateful to what they are doing. If a person built a community center to help kids from being in gangs and it becomes successful, he would be starting his legacy. The building would be named after him so that people would know his name. The community would hold him up because he saved them during their crisis. This would just be laying down the ground work. Look at examples of Napoleon or Muhammad Ali. Napoleon won wars that some thought were impossible to win and created his legacy. Ali, not only a boxer, spoke for a generation during a time of change created his legacy by being outspoken and an advocate. This is only one side because what you did to make your self important for your self-worth, also affects your future.
The future: Your legacy will be past down to your future, ala children. Just like in the past, your name still means a lot. Being an only child and one of four boys from my cousins, I know that I have to keep the legacy of my family going (Williams) meaning I have to change my last name to do so. I’m not doing it to get rid of the name of my father, but to give my children a sense of their family’s history. Doing a great feat or becoming wealthy now will allow your children to take on the same responsibilities as you or do something even greater. Your name will open doors for them that you work hard for and make it easier for them. If you do this correct, you will be remembered.
Being remembered: The most important aspect of having a legacy is being remembered. That’s the whole point of having one. When you die, you want people to remember you and always talk about the achievements and goals that you reached in life. Nobody wants to be a name in the wind. People want to have made an impact on someone’s life or the world’s. That is the true meaning of a legacy.
I think all this say about us or society is that we’re human. We think about our own mortality every waken day. We know that we cannot live forever in the body, but in the minds and words of people we can achieve it. That’s the only way a person can live forever and we strive each and every day to achieve this.