Can you fundamentally help people

Can you fundamentally help people? Genuine question. So many younger students I’ve tried to help are just so lazy. And other people I’ve tried to help who have a negative view on life, are just simply not open to changing their outlook. Ive found I end up just wasting my time trying to help these types of people. Is there any way to actually help them or do they have to figure it out on their own?

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Yes 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

You can help those who want your help and who want to help themselves. Those who don’t want your help or do not want to help themselves cannot be helped.

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb
 

They can be helped, but not always on the spot. Sometimes you just have to plant seeds and then let them marinate on that for a sec then they can figure it out.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Agreed, this is a good point that I missed (and am still actively learning to be quite honest)

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb
 

I think I always try to help. I'm not married to the outcome and don't take it personally if it doesn't work out for the said person. But sometimes, people simply flip a switch and if somebody tells them the right thing at the right time, it does wonders. A lot of people who are naturally resilient have some social advantage (stable family, good education, money etc). There are always underdogs but it's much much harder. So when life starts throwing shit at you as a kid, it's really quite hard to rise against it. All we can do is keep giving it back. 

Array
 

Your frustrations are well-founded. However, yes, you can help people, but 80% of the time, they will let you down. You gotta figure out if it's worth your time knowing that you have an 80% failure rate.

I think what you're encountering is the difference between the altruism that you learn about from idealist college professors and altruism in the real world. When you spend time and resources to help people out, it's often not an incredible and great experience. In fact, it is often frustrating and challenging instead.

 
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