I Believe in Ideas by Nathan Smith

I believe that ideas are the building blocks that have developed modern society. Ideas are the concepts that separate the world's geniuses from the average citizen. Ideas are the inspiration for talented individuals and inventors whose goal is to improve the planet we share. From the pyramids in Egypt to Henry Ford's Model T, ideas have inspired inventors and designers to improve civilization.

The pyramids were not placed in ancient Egypt by God; they all started as an idea. A talented Egyptian must have developed the design extensively before constructing the first one. The concept probably started as a mere drawing in the sand. He could not draw it out on an AutoCad program, or even look in a reference book. Everything started from scratch. The idea proved to be one of the architectural marvels of the world. Though the pyramids started as only an idea, they were transformed into a globally recognizable landmark that has withstood the test of time.

Jump ahead another couple thousand years, and along came the printing press. Since written languages came into existence, all books had to be meticulously transcribed by hand. Because of this time consuming and expensive process, very few books were in circulation. When Johannes Gutenberg developed the printing press, he not only revolutionized the literary world forever, he also made it possible to distribute books to the common person. His machine featured movable type so that it could be reformatted to copy any text. Yet again, this outstanding invention started out as a mere idea in the head of Johannes Gutenberg.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many people capitalized on the idea of building horseless carriages. But, unlike most of the others, Henry Ford's idea was to make automobiles affordable so that every American family could own one. Along with low prices, Ford also pioneered the large-scale implementation of mass production, which aided in the lowering of retail prices. This is yet another life-changing invention that started as an idea on a farm in Michigan and grew into a multi-billion dollar corporation.

The most recent life altering idea has been the introduction of the internet. As early as the 1970s, even with limited technology, experts envisioned the potential that upcoming technology could bring. The idea to create a virtual world seemed fanciful to most, but the internet has since become a day to day necessity. What began as an idea to transfer information transformed into a tool that has radically changed the global marketplace and will forever leave its mark on society.

While ideas continue to accumulate in the minds of all humans, only the most lucrative survive in today's fast-paced world. Though the most important part of an idea is the actual concept, it is crucial to develop ideas and dreams in order to improve society. Without motivation to follow through and change the world, an idea is lost forever to society. Still, the yield from an idea that has been sown and cultivated is unbelievable. That is why I believe in ideas.