Define "make a difference".

People claim this is terribly important to them and yet very often can't really explain what success looks like in relation to this.

I think it's largely a product of the conditioned self-loathing and formless guilt that most of us are plagued with my religion and by society. We have the notion that we're insufficient, or impostors.. We're supposed to do Great Things and Make a Difference, but there's always someone who does something greater or more definitive.

To me, "making a difference" is a zillion little things, not a few big ones.

Its proper scope is the present moment, not tomorrow or next year. It is the handful of people you're actually close to, not the whole world.

It mostly involves simply showing up and paying attention, and being reliable and having integrity. And if you screw up in this moment, feed that back into the next moment and do better.

My wife lost a dear friend today and I comforted her (imperfectly) and listened to her. My stepson is struggling with some personal issues and I found a way to let him know I value him and am thinking of him. The friends I got together with today needed my friendship, and got it. "Difference made" for today. It starts over tomorrow.

That is all there is to it.

You could try and make your little corner of existence a bit nicer, that would probably do

Blimey, I hope not. ?

It helps... and feels pretty good. Your neighborhood is just as good as the world.

As long as we do something that benefits another person without the hope of eternal life or another reward, you make a difference.

As already stated, your definition could be very different.

I am reminded of a story. A kid was on a beach with thousands of starfish washed ashore. The kid kept on putting them back in the water. A guy came up and told him there are too many for him to make a difference. He put another one back in the water and said "I made a difference to that one".

I'm focusing from computer science to criminal law. Not to protect criminals. To protect the innocent. I'd get the best of both worlds with that. Especially if you mean monitarily.

Define "the world." In my opinion, helping someone in need is making a difference "in the world," simply because that good deed can resonate widely. One good deed can BE ''the world'' to someone who is starving or unsafe or lost.

Define "success." In my opinion, if you're satisfied with the contributions you've made in your family/work/social life...you're a ''success." If you have loving friends...a happy family life...attention to ethics...you can be ''successful'' regardless of your bank account or the number of your FB friends!

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "make a difference." Literally, everyone makes a difference, even before they are born. Mom's body changes, and everyone who knows you changes because of you.

There are multiple ways to assess whether or not you have been successful. I’ve put them in order of importance.

If you haven’t screwed up to much, and your good behavior outweighs your bad, you have been successful on a minimal social level. If you have made a positive difference in others’ lives (one or more), then you have been more than minimally successful on a social level.

If you have accomplished most of your personal goals, you have been successful personally.

Biologically, if you have lived long and well enough to reproduce and see to it that your children reach adulthood and can succeed on their own, you have been successful biologically.

The last way is based on other people opinions, but their opinions don’t matter. Not really.

I never created a new thing and was not successful at politics. I served my country ,married and raised two great daughters who had four great grandchildren. With the latter accomplishment I feel I made a difference in the world and was successful.