People who try to stay relevant by always talking about current events end up making themselves dated. They’re relevant for a while, sure, but if all they’re doing is focusing on current events, then what happens when those events are no longer current? What happens when people aren’t thinking about that stuff anymore? They lose relevance. If you want to leave a legacy and have a chance of being remembered well after you’re gone, your best bet is to talk about things that are always relevant. Talk about the things we all have in common: our emotions, hopes, dreams, worries, fears, foibles, flaws, our ability to suffer, concerns about death, big questions about life, the desire to live the best life we can, and everything else that we as humans share. All of that is just as relevant now as it was in ancient times and transcends cultural differences. That’s why people who wrote about this stuff back then are still remembered and discussed today. They tapped into things that we can all relate to no matter where or when we live.
What’s more, you can increase your chances of being remembered by offering a unique, interesting, and useful perspective on principles that stand the test of time instead of simply saying what everyone else has already said about them. You might also inspire someone to take your ideas further than you had ever thought possible and make a major breakthrough. However, even parroting the perspectives of other people (while giving them credit for their ideas) gives you much better odds of leaving a lasting legacy than talking about the trivial matters of daily life that are hot for a moment but quickly cool off and fade away, like a message in the sand that washes away when the tide comes in.
In contrast, all the stuff that’s just as relevant today as it was millennia ago and will be just as relevant millennia from now is like a sturdy castle. Nothing is going to erase it from memory or cause it to become lost to time. That castle has long outlived the people who made it and will stick around for a long, long time. Anyone who sees it can think about the people who made it, just as those who come after you can look at what you had to say and remember you as they do. So don’t try to be relevant now by talking about the day-to-day fluff because that will make you become dated before you know it. Instead, talk about the stuff that sticks around and your impact will stick around, too.