sobrique | What's the point?

A question I've been asked on numerous occasions, in various forms. Several of these, recently.
I've always heard it in a context, such that someone feels that continuing with a practice is not worth it.

You offer to help sort out something, and are rebuffed.
You've spent some time preparing something, and it's ignored.
You offer someone a lift and they're scathing and rude.

In every situation, it's at a point where an effort has been made by one party, and other party has refused.
It's never a nice feeling to be slapped down when you've put an effort in. It's always an unhappy feeling when something you offer out of kindness is scorned.

It comes full circle though. If you continue to tell yourself 'there's no point' then you'll quickly become the kind of person who refuses such offers. Because there's no point.

This is not a good way to be living your life. There's _always_ a point. An offer of assistance whether it's accepted or not is your kindness, not their rejection. A well written story, that you like, remains a well written story, regardless of whether it's published or not.

It's always a mistake to measure your own life by what others like and dislike about it. The fact that you've created a thing, that you think is good, is enough.

So back to the original question. "What's the point?".
Well, the point is, that making the offer, spending the effort is intrinsically a good thing. At the end of our lives we die. Does this mean we should give up, because all our effort shall be as tears in the rain? No.

If you do not make the attempt, then you have already failed. So just give up. Say there's no point. All your efforts will be nothing in time. Or decided that whilst building for eternity is impossible, building for the now, and near future is enough. That something may be lost, forgotten or unread is irrelevant. If you do not, then it never will.

Sometimes I wonder about what the point of my ramblings on LJ are. In all honesty, I want to share my thoughts with those who care to read them. I hope that some will read what I say, and think. Maybe not change their mind, but at least consider their opinion. At the end of the day, there may be no point. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt? No, words do hurt. Sometimes more. But they also provide the foundations of all the great things in the world.

Avoid things in fear of being hurt, and all you do is cut yourself off from all the potential good and fun as well as the potential bad.

Which is worth more?