If you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.
– Godfellas, the fifty-second episode of Futurama
This was my high school quote. I had a good idea of what it meant when I chose it. Over the years, it has become more and more relevant to my life.
It is my job to solve other people's problems better than they can. Humans move on after we solve something. Once a problem is solved, people build on top of it. It is a foundation for the next thing. We take general peace and drinking water for granted because someone solved those problems. Whatever we build, we can't expect a reward for doing the right thing. People will forget yesterday's suffering.
No doubt, it is great when people appreciate your work. But I don't count on that thanks to last very long.
Thanks don't last but complaints are forever. Humans naturally seek out the negative. That's because negatives are problems to solve. Not everyone can solve all types of problems. That is when complaints happen. I embrace this negative view. There is more to do.
Someone may never know you or your name, but you can try to help them. We have to do what we think is the right thing.