My lovely mother in law used to belong to a group called the Deodorized Order of the Skunk. This cheekily named association was founded by businessman C.D. Keezer. The Order was a real philanthropic organization, and among other things it raised money for polio research. The unusual name came from C.D. Keezer’s two pet skunks, who of course had their smell glands removed. Some members of the Deodorized Order kept similarly sanitized pets, although it was not a requirement, and my mother in law stuck with dogs.
The Deodorized Order closed its doors in the 1960s but the need for service didn’t go away. Opportunities to help are all around you. If you see something you want changed, do something! Marcus Aurelius observed that “what’s bad for the hive is bad for the bee,” and problems in the world aren’t somebody else’s problem, they are yours.
Maybe the problems of the world seem too big for you to tackle, but there’s always something to be done. I believe it’s a mistake to do nothing because you can only do a little. The bystander effect describes the reluctance of people to get involved in a crisis; don’t be a bystander when it comes to getting involved with helping the hungry or coaching a soccer team.
Doing good is its own reward. In Stoic terms, we are exercising the virtue of justice. In ordinary terms, you may be rewarded with a smile or a thank you, or even more. In the early 20th century in Paris, a Newfoundland dog rescued a small child who was drowning in the River Seine. The proactive pooch was rewarded with a steak. Not long after, the vigilant pup spotted another child in trouble. Again, he was rewarded with a steak for his life-saving valor. The rescue of several more children raised an alarm–was some nefarious person trying to harm the children of the City of Light? A watch was set and it was discovered that whenever a child wandered too close to the bank, the dog himself would knock them in, sure in the knowledge of a steak dinner to follow.
Marcus Aurelius wrote, “Waste no more time in arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” Be a good person; don’t be a bad dog.
Duff likes to say "It's a mistake to do nothing because you can only do a little." That doesn't mean you shouldn't do big things--it means there's nothing too small to make the world a smidge better.