i&a: What do you think your purpose is?

John: Big question. I ask myself that question all the time. I haven't found that answer yet. I do think it's really interesting ancient wisdom. A Danish gentlemen told me the Danish equivalent of “there are no pockets in a shroud” A version of “you can't take it with you”. I've been to a lot of funerals. When you live in a country like Jamaica, you go to a lot of funerals just because in these third world societies people are much more social. In a Western society, generally, you would only go to the funerals of family and close friends.

One of the things which is interesting is when people reminisce, they would talk about their mother or father, “My mother raised me to do this, she was not one to spare the rod” and it was all about the things they did. I've never been to a funeral of anybody who said, “I love my mother because when I was four, she got me a Nintendo.” Nobody remembers this. I've never seen a gravestone that says “he had a good health plan, benefits and a good pension”. In other words, people can spend so much time thinking about these material things. Once you die it's all meaningless. If I don't leave you a lot of money, but I leave you a good legacy, I've done my job.

Having an impact does matter because an impact will outlast you. Not saying we're going to be remembered in 5000 years, but the legacy can outlast you. And I think I, guess that's what motivates me in terms of what that impact is. I think these intellectual legacies do count for a lot.

i&a: What’s currently inspiring you?

John: I’ve lived so much of my life in the tropics, I tend to rise and set with the sun. I always say I go to bed to the sound of crickets and wake up to the sound of birds, which can be quite inconvenient when the birds start singing at 2:30 in the morning. It is magnificent seeing the sunrise and seeing this everyday. I see these magnificent birds here in South Africa. That's real privilege. There's so much life in the street here. Every day really does inspire me.

i&a: If there was any one thing you’d caution people to think about right now, what would it be?

John: Oh, climate change. I think this is the existential challenge of our time. It's the one. I've decided at this time, I'm going to devote myself to that. Writing about it in my next book, I hope my agent finds a publisher for it. That's the legacy we will leave our children and grandchildren and I think that's vital.

i&a: If there was something, a tip, trick, workout regime or something that you would tell people to do to help improve their own lives, what would it be?

John: Force yourself to get outside your comfort zone on a daily basis. However small it is, meet with somebody, talk with somebody whose views you don't like, try and understand them. You don't have to be persuaded by them and you don't have to persuade them. Constantly challenge yourself. Never be content with where you are. Be pleased with what you've accomplished, but don't rest on your laurels.

i&a: What 5 things would you put in a mentee box?

John: I don't think I'd put the things in the box myself, since every person's inspiration will be unique to them. Instead, what I'd do is tell them the five things they need to put in the box. These would be:

1. A book or film that brought them to fruition - and if they don't have one yet, to start looking and thinking about it!
   From time to time, I taught methodology to graduate courses. I would often start with an exercise —in week 1, I would tell them to choose a book that changed their lives, and have them bring it to class in week 2; in week 2, their assignment was then to write a critical review of that book. They didn't have to say it was wrong, but they had to show themselves why they thought it right. Students were usually uncomfortable with the exercise at first, since they were being asked to debate their heroes, but once they were prodded to come up with their own assessments, they found themselves acquiring a new confidence and fully using their imagination—and for some, it would prove a revelation!
   

2. An object that was precious to a predecessor, to remind them of their inheritance and what they owe the past.
   A parent's favourite mug, a grandmother's rosary or prayer beads or sacred scripture, an academic award or some prize of which they were proud, a favourite picture or book they kept, etc.
   

3. A picture of a descendant so that they remain mindful of what their legacy will be, and what they owe the future.
   This needn't be their own child; it could be a niece or nephew, or perhaps a close friend's child, or someone to whom one has been a mentor, etc.
   

4. A song which transports them into a different state of being.
   Everybody has several; they can reflect on which single one they'd choose to 'take with them since it would likely remind them of what state in life they long for.
   

5. A notebook.
   We hardly use these anywhere, given all the electronic devices that can do what writing once did; but writing things down, sketching things out, summarising what we've just heard our read—these exercises slow us down into deeper thought and make us engage more deeply with the ideas, extracting more wisdom that what exists on the surface. And we all need to slow down and reflect every once in a while!

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impact&agency