I was recently reminded of a powerful ancient proverb:

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

How often are we willing to do things that will benefit others more than ourselves?

How often are we willing to think about making the world better for the generations that will come after us, including both our direct lineage and those who will descend from people we’ll never know?

It’s easy to think about how we can make our lives the most enjoyable. Or even to think about how we can improve things for our children and neighbors.

But real societal change and improvement can’t take place unless we have more people willing to work for something that arguably provides no direct benefits to themselves.

-Brandon