Stephen Sutton has finally lost his battle to cancer. RIP to a guy that when death looked him in the face he looked back and decided to make a difference with what time he had left. A truly inspirational young man.
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains, and is immortal" --Albert Pike "The measure of a man is not in what he starts, but how he finishes it" --Hellboy
It's a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done before. A far better resting place that I go to than I have ever known
Whilst I respect his courage and actions I do want to question this use of the word inspiration. The word inspiration is being thrown around so much that is has really lost its meaning, much like the word respect. If he is an inspiration, what have you specifically been inspired to do or change about your life by reading about him? Encouraging a person to donate a little cash and then move on doesn't really count as inspirational in my book either. Just to reiterate, as I know how these things are ripped out of context, this isn't specifically related to this story of Stephen himself, but rather to those who repeat these phrases. Did this story really inspire you? And, if not, why do you say it is inspiring? (Also, not a personal dig at you Lance, just me generally ranting about this observed behaviour)
Here's a young guy, his life barely begun when he is already facing certain death. Not only that, it is one of those long, slow, drawn-out deaths, where you feel too exhausted and weak and miserable for most of the time to actually do something enjoyable with the little time you have left. No bucket list here: no skydiving, no travelling the world, no partying and getting wasted on interesting drugs and beverages while having kinky, freaky sex with as many hot girls as you can find; no living fast and hard and leaving a beautiful corpse. You lie in bed most of the time, feeling wretched and sick and watch the grains of your days slip away in Death's hour glass. Whacha gonna do? Curl into a ball of self-pitying bitter rage? Top yourself out of spite? Go mental? Or do you transcend your concern with your own existence, dedicate it to something bigger than you and use those last days to contribute something meaningful to humanity? It is really the only thing to do. Yet it is also the hardest thing to do. A young, dying man left a legacy that may help thousands of patients after him, fund research that finds new, better treatments for cancer, inspire thousands of people to give a bit more generously, to worry a bit less about the small stuff (and it is all small stuff), to love a bit more and live a bit more. He embodied in his brief time on earth how we should all live: to make our lives count, to contribute to humanity, to focus on what we have and do rather than what we don't, and to face our mortality with dignity. Always look on the bright side of life. Inspiration enough for you?
^ Yup. Anyone who shows cancer the middle finger and carries on living life so positively gets my admiration, let alone someone so young.
Nexxo, everything you said is, of course, 100% correct, but what you have described are heroic, courageous actions. They can of course be inspirational too, but that depends more on you than it does him. Yadda, I never disagreed that he deserves our admiration, but admiration is not inspiration. So, the question still stands. If, for you, he is an inspiration, what are you now doing that you were not doing or you felt that you couldn't do before hearing about this lad? Again, this isn't specifically about Stephen, more about the terms we loosely toss around. Is it really what we think or are we just mindlessly aping the media vernacular?
Well he inspired this thread and massive donations, Nexxos post and likely many other things none of us will know about. Your pedanticism is a bit lax. If someone is referred to as inspirational they only need to invoke inspiration in one person and not necessarily the person making the statement. What a certain action inspires may not be overtly tangible. A person could inspire something simple like reflection on your circumstances or a person. Or perhaps putting your hand in your pocket when you walk past the charity box. If someone is referred to as a personal inspiration then your point holds water a bit more. But as I have said, inspired actions aren't necessarily overtly tangible. You don't need to setup the next Live Aid to be inspired.
Well, yes. Attributions are always in the eye of the beholder. Speaking for myself I have been working in the field of cancer (and hence inevitably, palliative care) for a good decade, and I have met many Stephens in some shape or form. Each is a reminder for me to not sweat the small stuff, appreciate what I have and not lament what I haven't; not to be held back by fear or doubt, give people the benefit of the doubt and above all to lick the lid of life. And I think about what I contribute to humanity, because there is only us. I am a lot less stressed since I work in cancer. I worry a lot less, and I am a lot more mindful of happiness. We come alone and we go alone, and everything inbetween is a glorious gift.
I don't like RIP threads much but I must say this guy was one of those you watch out for. As others said, he looked death in the face and instead of giving up and worrying about his own condition, he decided to make a difference to others in his predicament. Truly one of those great people that should be remembered. I don't like the word 'inspirational' but it really is a great show of determination.