One day, your name will be spoken for the last time. Maybe your tombstone will be glanced at from time to time. But after a while, your grave will be dug out and replaced by a Starbucks. It can be frightening to realize that we will all be forgotten. However, you can "live forever" through your impact on others. It's not about being remembered for who you are, but for what you have done.

Why identity doesn't matter as much as we think it does

Your carefully crafted persona will turn to dust, and your worries and embarrassments will disappear too.

It’s not that identity is unimportant or useless—as it serves a functional role in our society—but rather that our connections and contributions hold lasting significance.

Our impact matters more

In Jungian thought, there is this idea of the collective unconscious. It suggests that we are all interconnected through shared ideas and images. These shared ideas and images influence what we do, how we think, and how we feel.

Even the smallest of actions can have a butterfly effect and set off a chain of events that continues long after your self-image is gone.

How to impact others

No one likes to be told what to do. According to Carl Jung, people primarily change through causal necessity.

Jung suggests that personal growth and development are driven by necessity. None of us change because we will it or because someone tells us to. We change because there is an inner or outer necessity that compels it.

This necessity can be a psychological need to achieve a sense of completeness, or external life circumstances that force you to adapt and grow.

So how do we induce causal necessity in others?

The process of working on yourself doesn’t just mean working hard in your career and maintaining your health, but also becoming more aware of your unique psychological makeup, embracing the good and bad aspects of your psyche, and differentiating yourself from societal norms while still respecting them.

While you can't directly impose causal necessity on others, you can definitely catalyze it.

Living by example: By being a living example of personal growth, we show others that change is possible and desirable. This can create a sense of necessity in their own lives, especially when they see the fruits of your journey.

Inspire and mentor others: Sharing knowledge, skills, and experiences with an open hand can have a massive impact. Mentoring not only expands your expertise, but also empowers others to make their own contributions and feel valued. Teaching and mentoring create a profound impact on humanity as it encourages the behavior of passing it down.

Build lasting relationships: Healthy long-term relationships can act as a method of delivery for change. By nurturing and being present for friends, family, and community, we can leave behind a legacy of love and support.

Create and share art: Any form of self-expression can touch people's lives in ways that go beyond its creator.