Ask HN: How can I have a positive impact on the world? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How can I have a positive impact on the world?

7 pointsYKreator9 comments

I ask myself more and more questions about my impact on society. And I wanted to know if you also question your impact on the society?

Do you feel like you are having a positive impact? How are you doing?

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I live on a poverty line and I just give homeless people there I know smokes and cash for food. That’s more than most people manage to do.

Sometimes it doesn't have to be much. If everyone tried to nake someone else's life slightly better, everyone's life would be significantly better. I've had some donations (some even from HN members, thanks!) and I make sure to pay it forward wherever I can.

I'm not having any measurable impact.

I try to donate a little to the food bank and stuff, but I'm concerned for my job and have a family to support, so it's not much.

I also try to stand up for injustices, especially in the "justice" system. For example, I recently encountered a police department that was going to charge people with misdemeanors when the law calls for summary offenses. I was able to have the DA's office educate that department. I'm currently dealing with the state police on an issue of one of their troopers holding a false charge against my wife knowing that he didn't have probable cause. The state police think this is ok.

If you’re able to influence a DA, your impact is measurable dude. Don’t sell yourself short, it isn’t easy to stand against injustices.

I'm not really able to influence the DA. I've contacted them about rights violations related to a trooper knowingly holding a charge without probable cause, and they won't do anything.

The only reason they did something with this police department is because the grading was very clear in the statute and the police department posted false information about it on Facebook. So it was blatant and public. Unfortunately this false charge issue is only blatant and not public. So they just want to sweep it under the rug. Although I have contacted an investigative reporter to maybe change this. And maybe an injunctive relief civil rights filing with the FBI/DOJ.

You are trying to help people when you could just as easily be watching TV and drinking Coors. You're positively impacting society.

Related questions: What meets a significant need in the world?

What is the most important thing I should be doing with my time & resources now?

More on this subject > https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077875-essentialism

I know I impact society.

When I see someone on the side of the road I stop to ask if they’re okay. Usually folks are fine but sometimes they’re not. Once I wound up giving a guy a ride to a gas station at 3am mid winter.

I listen to anyone who has nobody to talk to, and never gossip about what I learn about people.

If someone doesn’t have something they need which I have and don’t need I give it to them.

I stopped smoking years ago but when I’m in the city I carry a pack just to be able to offer a few to homeless folks.

I send money to charities that I care about.

I pay my taxes.

I post in response to questions like this to try my best to remind folks that simply thinking about whether you’re helping society means you have the capacity to do so.

Yeah, we are all one variable out of the 8 billion that constitutes the algorithm of life, and granted no single person can stop a genocide or end poverty or cure Alzheimer’s. That shouldn’t be your benchmark for impacting society.

Do not try to measure yourself against Warren Buffet, Winston Churchill, or Pope Francis. Those aren’t normal people.

Judge yourself based upon what you have to give and whether you give what you have.

You matter.

Create sustainable jobs people love to do.

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