How to Make a Global Impact

For the past year or so, I've been looking at life from a more systematic perspective. Specifically, I think the idea of mutually beneficial exchanges is interesting. The charts below illustrates its power:

Before an exchange

As you can see from the example above, both individuals received something that was greater in value (to them) then what they gave. As a result, both person A and person B were happier as a result of the exchange. Taking this a level higher, imagine the billions of exchanges that happen in the world everyday. What role (quantity and quality) do you want to play in all of these exchanges?

As an individual who wants to have a large social impact, I think it is really important to think about the various exchanges I'm a part of and ask important questions, which form the basis for mutually-beneficial exchanges. Some of these core questions are:

1. What products/services have I purchased, do I purchase, and do I plan to purchase? Are these products/services more valuable than the money I spend on them? Some examples of products/services types are:
   • clothing (shirts, hats, shoes, jackets, etc.)
     
   • food (alcohol, candy, healthy food, etc.)
     
   • entertainment
     
   • educational (books, college, etc.)
     
   • personal care (tooth paste,
     
   • etc.
2. Am I responsible for how the products I purchase are produced? For example, should I only buy products that are made in an environmentally and socially responsible way? Am I responsible for taking time to research companies I buy products from to see how they are made? Should I be willing to pay more for these products? If so, how much more? Some examples of issues that may be worth considering are:
   • Fair-trade coffee
     
   • Recycled paper
     
   • Sweat-shop free clothing
     
   • Dolphin-safe tuna
     
   • Low-emission automobiles
     
   • Animal-tested products
     
   • etc.
3. What intangible exchanges have I participated in, am I participating in, and do I plan to participate in? Examples of intangible exchanges might consist of are:
   • Yelling at someone
     
   • Embracing somone
     
   • "Being there when someone needs you"
     
   • etc.
4. What do I produce now? What do I plan to produce as a career? Is this the way I can add the most value to the world? How can I add the most value to the world?