I don't believe in the power of one.  I don't think a single person (I don't mean a non-dating or non-married person), a single action, or a single idea has any power or lasting effect.  Obviously this can be disproved with examples from the past, including Abraham Lincoln and slavery, Rosa Parks and civil rights, and Simon Cowell and American Idol.  But I think the chances of a single thing taking hold and growing into something larger are so small, it's almost certain it'll never happen.  This is pretty negative thinking, I know.  But negativity is a form of realism, so it has its place. 

If I wake up one day and decide, "I'm gonna do something about the war in Iraq," there are really only a few things I can do.  I can protest, and we've all seen how effective those are.  I can voice my opinions on the internet, but again, that gets me nowhere.  The only thing I can really do that involves an actual action is to vote for a presidential candidate that's most likely to do something about the war in Iraq.  But like I've stated previously, I don't really put much confidence in voting, seeing that the current system groups votes from the same area into a big pool, with the winner decided by a majority of the votes.  Those majorities are then combined with other majorities in a larger region, and a final winner is decided based on how many areas chose which majority.  If I vote for (a) but (b) wins my area's majority, my vote essentially doesn't count, since (a) can still win overall.  [I invite any smart political people to tell me if this is somehow wrong.]  So in the end, the action of one person is relatively meaningless. 

I believe people and circumstances can change, and I think certain changes can be started by the ideas and efforts of just one person.  But I think our nation and our culture have been led to believe that this always happens, and it's relatively easy.  "All you need to do is take a stand."  "Change starts with just one person."  But what about when this doesn't work?  If I don't agree with American foreign policy, there's really nothing I can do about it.  If I don't like the idea of abortion or gay marriage, there's really nothing I can do about it.  I feel like I'm constantly bombarded with people telling me I can do something to change things, but I really have a hard time believing it. #psychology