Would you stick your hand in a lion’s mouth?

Ben Shelley
4 min readOct 7, 2020
Photo by Jeff Rodgers on Unsplash

Those that answer yes are the ones who end up changing society. These are the ones that should be applauded. Risk is something that left the western world a long time ago. We have become complacent, leaving the door wide open for the brave few.

We aspire to the common

As much as we would all like to believe that the world is full of possibility, it is not. Distribution of information is limited where possible. The internet has not reached everyone.

Just under 60% of the population of the planet has access to the internet. Of this minor majority, most children now aspire to be YouTubers rather than astronauts.

With so much perceived possibility, no-one will ever achieve all their dreams, or will they? Fame is manufactured, with most children preferring to be a YouTube star than look to be an astronaut.

Today's kids are three times more likely to aspire toward a career as a YouTuber rather than an astronaut, according to a new study.
CNBC.Com, Kids now dream of being professional YouTubers

With the internet being everywhere, or at least the perception that it is everywhere, children want to be a part of it. The dream of being an astronaut is tough but a YouTube star needs only to grow his or her audience. This is the perception at least.

Aspiring to fail

Businesses take fewer risks each year. Just look at the average local authority in the United Kingdom. Most are happy with the status quo. Most do not wish to go outside their remit and help those who need it. This is because people are treated as a number rather than a person.

New systems of work are implemented but rarely filter across the country. Change is hard-fought. With most aspiring to star on their laptops, those who want to help those who are vulnerable reduce each year. The concern is for the self rather than the world around.

Being an astronaut is an impossible dream, whereas being a YouTube star feels tangible. Simply getting through to the interview stage is hard enough, when it comes to this out-of-this-world career.

“The fact that I applied to become an astronaut 15 times has not been lost on my friends…

Ben Shelley

Someone who has no idea about where their place is in this world, yet enjoys writing about books, education, entertainment and videogames