Society, in its most basic sense, is the sum of all human interactions and relationships. For an individual, being able to contribute to society means to positively impact other people with whom he interacts or has a relationship. Therefore, contributing to society can span a wide range of activities.
Civic Duty
A man can contribute to society in a positive way by performing basic civic duties expected of all citizens (specific to the U.S.). Things like paying taxes may seem like a pain and one may disagree with certain political officials in charge of making the tax laws. However, something even more important to consider is whether you are pulling your own weight with everyone else in your community or life. Are you utilizing services in the world that come at the expense of others' hard work without contributing anything yourself? If you answer yes to these questions, you are probably not contributing to society like you should. In essence, you are being a parasite to you neighbor. In the short term, this may be okay since some systems are designed to help those in need until they can get back on their feet. Using the existence of these systems like food stamps, welfare, unemployment, and disability to avoid actually doing something productive in society is despicable. It is your civic duty as a citizen to give back in the form of taxes to help support these programs and other national and state infrastructure, whether you agree with the tax policy or not. Other good ways to contribute from a civic duty standpoint are serving as a juror (or at least showing up), maintaining required insurance coverages (i.e. car insurance), and obeying laws. Breaking the law is essentially going against the grain of society, which in some places is acceptable and the right thing to do, but rarely is the case in a democracy like America.
Teach
Teaching does not necessarily have to be in a classroom setting, but it is important to give back to the world by passing along some knowledge you have picked up along the way during your existence. Many times, this act is simply raising your children to be productive members of society. Instilling morals and manners in your children 100% qualifies as contributing to society, and it is shocking how often this teaching gets overlooked these days. If you do not have children of your own, there is always someone out there who could learn from you. If you are acting as a functioning member of society, then you have certainly developed some proficiency in a craft along the way. Chances are, someone else in the world also wants to learn this craft or skill, and it should be an honor for you to help pass this knowledge along. Even if you have taken all the wrong turns during your life thus far, there are venues where you can speak to groups of young people on what not to do and use your life as an example. The point is there is no excuse to not give some information you have learned during your life back to the world in some way, shape, or form. It is never too early to start, and you might just learn a thing or two yourself.
Volunteer
Whether it is your time or money, every man should know the joy of helping his fellow man, woman, or child. Volunteering and donating builds character and can prove to be more satisfying spiritually than most other activities, especially a selfish use of your time. You can volunteer at any number of events, charities, churches, homeless shelters, etc. The opportunities are endless because there will always be people who are less fortunate than you. Be a man and seek out these opportunities to help people in need.
Hopefully this short article can serve as a guide to anyone struggling to find their place in the world. You do not have to be a big shot, six figure salary guy to contribute to society. The most critical part of succeeding in life is to bring something to the table that helps take some percentage of those people impacted by your life further along in their journey. If your existence is dragging other people down or holding them back from achieving their goals and dreams, it may be time for a long, hard look in the mirror to ask yourself "how can I contribute to society?".
Teach
Teaching does not necessarily have to be in a classroom setting, but it is important to give back to the world by passing along some knowledge you have picked up along the way during your existence. Many times, this act is simply raising your children to be productive members of society. Instilling morals and manners in your children 100% qualifies as contributing to society, and it is shocking how often this teaching gets overlooked these days. If you do not have children of your own, there is always someone out there who could learn from you. If you are acting as a functioning member of society, then you have certainly developed some proficiency in a craft along the way. Chances are, someone else in the world also wants to learn this craft or skill, and it should be an honor for you to help pass this knowledge along. Even if you have taken all the wrong turns during your life thus far, there are venues where you can speak to groups of young people on what not to do and use your life as an example. The point is there is no excuse to not give some information you have learned during your life back to the world in some way, shape, or form. It is never too early to start, and you might just learn a thing or two yourself.
Volunteer
Whether it is your time or money, every man should know the joy of helping his fellow man, woman, or child. Volunteering and donating builds character and can prove to be more satisfying spiritually than most other activities, especially a selfish use of your time. You can volunteer at any number of events, charities, churches, homeless shelters, etc. The opportunities are endless because there will always be people who are less fortunate than you. Be a man and seek out these opportunities to help people in need.
Hopefully this short article can serve as a guide to anyone struggling to find their place in the world. You do not have to be a big shot, six figure salary guy to contribute to society. The most critical part of succeeding in life is to bring something to the table that helps take some percentage of those people impacted by your life further along in their journey. If your existence is dragging other people down or holding them back from achieving their goals and dreams, it may be time for a long, hard look in the mirror to ask yourself "how can I contribute to society?".
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