Yes. And I have been lucky enough to be able to do pretty often.

My reasoning goes like this. I am a human being and recognise there are others who are like me. We each feel pain and struggle to live. I want to live in a kind, gentle world where I can thrive. I therefore should do what I can to make this world a better place for myself and others. I find meaning and purpose in helping others.

Makes a difference to society .. pretty much everything I have done this lifetime has been directed at helping or improving. Workwise and socially. It just feels right but I don't do it for me really ..

Yes. oh yes/ I believe in the quote, "Service is the rent we pay for the time we spend on this earth."

Yes, I live in a society and benefit from it, so I feel that I must give back or contribute positively to that society. I like to think that I have made some difference. I've mentored people who tell me I've made a difference in their lives. I don't do it expecting anything in return and don't believe that I'll receive any rewards for it.

Yes, and yes.

It makes a difference and if we are all wrong and there is some sort of final accounting I'll hold my head up and say "This is what I've done." with no regrets or fears.

I think everyone and everything we do contribute or negatively ipothers and the planet whether consciously or not. For me it is important that I make a positive difference as much as possible or at least to offset the negative effects like garbage pollution etc. Though I fall short, I have a goal of leaving anyone I meet in a better or at least neutral place than they were before. So even if they are upset I am me and compassionate. I aspire to do more by leaving less of a carbon print and purging all the stuff to live in tiny cheaper space to enjoy life more and use less resources. But I strongly feel even the little things like being kind to others can have a ripple effect and transform the world.

It is not important to me, however, I aspire to do that but am not sure if I have made any difference and if I have it has been very minimal or even noticable.

1. No
2. Pretty general question. To me, no. I'm just as dead when that happens.
   But I'm sure I've made a difference in some people's lives, for better or worse - that's for them to decide.

It makes a difference to me. I believe I've done good while I'm here and I will leave a legacy. I'm satisfied and if I die today I will have no regrets.

In the grand scheme of things, no... Biological success is probably all that really matters; but that's where we are different from the rest of the natural world. Because we do have society, and culture, it's worth preserving, and contribution...

I don't know if it is important to everyone to contribute to society; but we all do it in our own way regardless.

I've made a career of helping people be complete again, through prosthetics, and orthotics- and I find it fulfilling in a number of ways... But, in the end, I do it for my own fulfillment, not ever really thinking of it's benefit to society... Well, okay, I do find fulfillment in benefiting the people who are walking around in the world on devices that I made for them; but is that important?

More important to me is that I get to do something I like doing, and it affords me the ability to enjoy the life that I want.

In the end, we will all be dust, and nothing matters all that much- except to realize that life is fleeting, and precious, and it's as good as we make it.

This has been a very convoluted response to your question, but I guess what I'm saying is no: It shouldn't be important to think you're benefiting society. It's more important to do what makes you happy, and hopefully it benefits society anyway.

Peace!

Yes Being a good example is great for starters. Growing up my family constantly helped others. My Dad was in his eighties when I walked out to my yard where he was handing someone down on their luck a quarter. He was saying it was the last of his money and it was! I adored my Dad. He was the kindest gentlest man I ever met!

I grew up immersed in community where that was just part of the culture. My parents were activists in the Civil Rights Movement. There are 5 of us kids: two librarians, one teacher, a PT and a nurse, all of us in service positions.
How can one breathe the air, enjoy the natural resources, be alive without paying it forward?

Earth Day tomorrow! I wish I could go to an event. Sundays the buses don't run.

Eh for me it's just making sure I don't screw things up.

Nope.

Well,yes.If you think about it human existence has always been about contributing to the society in our benefit
either bad or good

Some days it's the reason I get out of bed.
Other days I think "who cares, what does it matter?"

Not really, mainly because I have no power, no money, and no connexions. I'm not going to make any kind of difference any time soon.

Society? Pfft. I'll help a friend move, lend'em money til payday or just lift their mood if their down. But society is beyond my influence. Wouldn't listen anyways.

Very and every day

“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” - Horace Mann

“The day we stop helping each other is the day we stop being human beings.” ~ from the movie 2012
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No, not at all.
I often help individuals and at times that may be detrimental to more than it helps, so a negative for society. eg I help people fight Government Agencies, this reduces income for the government and costs the wider population money. But wrong is wrong. I encourage people to withdraw from the economy. I prefer not to benefit the industrial society. I do a lot of charity work, I volunteer a lot. This is bad for the economy. I should be working hard, earning heaps, paying lots of tax, consuming more. an example.
I grow $100 of my own food, that benefits noone except myself.
If I go and do a meaningless for for a few hours, earn $150, pay $50 in tax and buy $100 of food, the national GDP has increased by $300.