Image Transcription
(A 4Chan "green-text", titled "Altruism", with a close-up photograph of a turtle on the pavement)
Riding bike through town
See something strange on the side of the road
Decide to stop and investigate
It's a turtle tucked into its shell
Hold finger in front of shell
Turtle pokes its head out, sniffs finger, and then retreats back into it's shell
It's a hot day, and there are no bodies of water nearby
There's a river a few miles away, decide to take the turtle there
Ride bike with one hand while holding the turtle
People look at me strangely
Don't care, the turtle is all that matters
Turtle pokes its head out when going fast downhill
Probably the fastest the turtle has ever gone
Finally reach the river
Set the turtle on the shore under some shade
After about 10 seconds the turtle crawls into the water
Looks back at me before submerging and swimming away
Feel more emotion in that moment than I have in the last few years
Despite my mistakes and shortcomings, a creature's life was made better by my existence
Is using our time to help others the real answer?
It's not too likely that any one of us will change the world, but every one of us can change someone's world. Even if that someone is a turtle.
Alternatively:
Everyone will change the world whether they like it or not. It's usually in small ways and it's not always good, but you will have an impact and you are important.
Everything you do makes a difference, even if it's unclear how.