Reality, Responsibility, and the Courage to Live

This is an article to be read not merely with the eyes, but with the heart. It is a call to open our eyes to the disarray that surrounds us, and rather than complaining or seeking excuses to evade our duty, to push ourselves to put our hands to work. We must act with intention to forge a better reality—one that requires fixing, one that transcends the “SELF.” We must take action for ourselves and, more importantly, for those to whom we dare to say, “I love you.” As the Apostle John admonished: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18).

We live in a society where people have removed themselves from reality. We inhabit a “deep fake” world because it is easier; using filters and consuming fabricated content requires no effort. It is far simpler to manipulate an image on a phone in seconds than to engage in the hard work that offers long-term compensation and genuine wellness. We build images on social media of versions of ourselves that do not exist, deceiving others and, worse, deceiving ourselves. People believe their own lies, living in a futile world built by “likes” and followers—currencies that are useless when the truth arrives, for you cannot pay for your groceries with vanity metrics.

There is an ancient truth found in Scripture: “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16). This refers to the substance of a good human being. When a person is of value, things materialize; when a person is of service, wealth comes as a natural consequence, not because of an obsessive pursuit of material things, lust, or immediate satisfaction. As Seneca the Younger, the Stoic philosopher, wisely noted: “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”

It is crucial to state that intelligence, academic knowledge, and titles do not guarantee a good human being. Intelligence and knowledge are tools; without a moral compass, they can be used to steal, to harm, and to lie. As C.S. Lewis observed, “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” If these characteristics are not cultivated by a good nature, they can produce a terrible human being—a clever one who uses their gifts to manipulate, consume, and destroy.

Society today possesses all the tools to create a false image, displaying a distorted reality where the mediocre present themselves as rich, the wicked as good, and the degenerate as kind. Evil is presented as normal, introduced to young generations as a necessity. Social pressure convinces young minds that mimicking gangsters, criminals, or degenerate celebrities will grant them the material wealth displayed in music videos. These false idols—now called “influencers”—suggest that wealth is the result of evil, ungodly behavior, from hook-up culture and drugs to mindless consumption. As the Apostle Paul warned in Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

We are watching a generation drift toward hunger, laziness, and attachment to dopamine loops—TV, video games, and endless scrolling—leaving children without guidance. We need a society where people say “I will live for you” rather than the dramatic and often empty “I will die for you.” Merit, maturity, and responsibility are needed more than ever to restore the human being of integrity. We must return to being builders of systems that sustain a dignified life and families with values.

We seem to be forgetting that every one of us comes from a mother and a father. The integral family is not only the nucleus of society but the forge where human beings are formed—humans who can adopt responsibility and maturity. It is easy to see the path back when we embrace this accurate definition of Maturity: “The acceptance of 100% of your responsibilities.”

I hope we can internalize the words of Jack London: “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” This does not refer to the reckless “YOLO” mentality, but to living a proper life—a life worth living. We know that the price of freedom is responsibility. Love does not come to us if we are not of value in a reciprocal way to the ones we love and to the vision of life we hold.

In the Bible, there is a clear mandate for this maturity. God calls man to leave his father’s home, to work the land, to find a wife, and to be fruitful. As it is written: “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me’” (Luke 9:23).

The world is not fair, nor is life easy. The solution to achieving the life you envision starts by embracing reality and making the required changes. Sometimes this comes with hard work, sometimes with painful goodbyes, but it can only happen if we aim at that which is, as Philippians 4:8 says, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable.”

Discipline, integrity, and determination are required. When a man is still, focused, and performs his duties, the universe opens doors for those of good nature—those willing to study, to fall, and to pick themselves back up. You must do this for who and what you love, without destroying others, without manipulation, and without theft.

Understand that this requires hard changes. As the Stoic Epictetus taught, “If you wish to be good, first believe that you are bad.” You must acknowledge where you are to move forward. Sometimes you will have to leave friends or even family members who keep you in the hole of stagnation—where drugs, alcohol, laziness, and false appearances reign. As 1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds us: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”

Life requires work. It requires integrity based on God’s commandments and respect for nature. It requires us to build disciplines and systems designed to create, not to consume or destroy. It requires you to separate yourself from the majority, to state what you will do, and to do it NOW.

As Albert Einstein said: “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”

Written by: Rhet A. Marini