You Matter: Less than you think, and More than you know

My name is Aaron. But let’s be honest, that doesn’t really matter.

Whether my name is Aaron, Bob, Susan, or Michael, it’s irrelevant to you. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. To put it lightly, I’m an insignificant factor in your life.

And I know what you’re probably thinking: “Wow, that’s a dark way to start a blog.”

But hear me out, because this isn’t just about me. The unfortunate truth is: you’re insignificant too.

I know. Bold opening, right? But stick with me.

Suppose the most lucrative job in the world is simply getting to know other people. You major in it, let’s call it Human Relationship Building, and you graduate at 21. Immediately, you land a dream gig: $5,000,000 a year to interview strangers and learn their stories.

Of course, you take it.

Every weekday, from 9 AM to 5 PM, a bell rings every 20 minutes. A new person walks through the door, and you spend that time learning who they are. You take an hour lunch, so you speak to 24 people per day. That’s 120 people a week, and 6,240 a year. No vacations in this scenario. Sorry.

After 44 years, you retire at 65, having interviewed 274,560 people.

That’s enough to fill TD Garden, Gillette Stadium. Then fill them both again. And again once more.

Incredible, right? You’ve spoken to more people than almost anyone in human history. And yet, here’s the kicker:

274,560 people is just 0.00003335433% of the world’s population.

You’d need a lot more overtime.

So, yeah... we’re insignificant. You, me, everyone we know. We’re all small pieces in a very, very big puzzle.

But here’s the thing.

That doesn’t mean you don’t matter.

When you zoom out far enough, everything seems tiny. But that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless. Every interaction you have, every conversation, every kind gesture. It all ripples.

You don’t have to be the lead character in someone’s story to change the plot.

Even background characters carry weight. Try watching a play without the ensemble cast, the silence is deafening.

So yes, we’re all insignificant.

In an extremely significant way.

In a world of billions, it’s easy to feel small. But every connection you make, every life you touch, even in passing, proves that the smallest presence can still carry meaning.

So let me leave you with a simple question:

How are you maximizing your (in)significance?