God apparently intended for the world to be as it is, since this is the way he created it, and he is all-powerful and all-wise and all-good, by definition. He doesn't mess up, and he didn't mess up with the world. For whatever reason, he wanted it as it is: based on the evidence, he seems to like immutable natural laws–birth, death, rebirth, cycles, change over time, variety, diversity, potential for anything and everything. His creatures (including us) seem capable of amazing greatness and smallness. That's what he made, what he wanted, and what he called 'good.' Who are we to argue with god?

So, accept the way the world is, notice that actually, it's pretty interesting and full of possibility, even if heartache and challenge and loss are also part of it. Then decide what you want to do with your time on earth, as everyone else will. Will we/they change the world? Yes, in small or big ways. Will we/they make the world or human nature fundamentally different from what God made it? No. But that still leaves each of us a lot of room for play, fun, ambition, profit, loss, adventure, accomplishment, and changes of all kinds.

Everyone drives me crazy. Everyone irritates me, is stupid, mean, crazy. And that's not going to change. So how can acceptance help?

It's true that people will always be as they are–fallible, weak, mistaken, often harmful, etc. You're right that that will never change, because God made all of us capable of being all things–harmful, harmless, helpful, and all the things in between, as we choose.

But that doesn't mean you have to accept being irritated or hurt by others, either now or forever. You can work with your reaction to other people, but the first step is to accept them as they are, to learn to accept that they are what they are and may or may not ever change, as they choose.

With that acceptance, you can go a very long way toward changing your own irritation or over-reaction to the way they are, though. Your high blood pressure and racing angry thoughts and self-righteously indignant pulse can change. Acceptance of others as-they-are-now, along with acceptance of yourself as you are now, can lead to a greater quietness, gentleness, peace of mind with others, and with yourself. But acceptance comes first.

First you gotta get that they are who they are and you are who you are, and for now, you can be OK with what is. Armed with that first step, with that calm, in the present, you can take the small steps that will change your reaction to others, which in itself, often makes a huge difference in others' behavior toward you. Day by day, as you accept others today, you will find that your relationships improve, are calmer, easier, friendlier. They'll just work better all around.

I really don't think much will ever change–not me, not them, nothing. Things are what they are. I am what I am. What will be will be. How can acceptance help or change anything?

Remember the serenity prayer, the one about knowing what things to accept and what things to change? You're right that the world will stay the world, with all its natural heartaches and losses and limitations. And you're right that people will always be people, forever capable of mistakes, failings, weaknesses, fears, foolishness, harm.

What you can change is: all the rest. Given what you have to work with–nature's laws and fallible humans–there is still a lot you can do. You can't make anything perfect, but you can chip away and improve it, for a time. Look around you and you'll see millions of people doing just that, making themselves and their situations better. Not all it once, but very gradually, step by step, over the course of their lives. They pick a few things to work on–whatever they find most urgent or interesting–and then chip away at them. What will you choose to chip away at?