You are a waiter.
Your job is to serve people when they come to eat at your restaurant.
You don't care who they are outside your restaurant, but in it they are met with courtesy and when they have had their fill, you clear out their plates.
You have done your part.
You are a cashier.
Your job is to check out purchases people make at your shop.
You don't care who they are outside your shop, but in it they are assisted and when they have made their purchase, you take their money.
You have done your part.
You are a call centre agent.
Your job is to help people figure things out.
You don't care who is on the other end of the phone but on it, you provide them with answers and when they are done, you say "Do have a nice day" and you hang up.
You have done your part.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.
In (English) law, there is a principle known as a Duty of Care. It essentially states that in whatever capacity you find yourself, you owe those around you consideration, to a reasonable extent. That means when engaging in activities, such as cooking or driving, you take care that the food is fit for consumption and that you drive properly.
The Duty of Care, I believe, has theoretical roots in the Social Contract theory, popularized by Locke, Rousseau and Hobbes. Though Hobbes did also say "Life is short, hellish and brutish", he ultimately believed that the only thing stopping civilization from descending into utter and absolute chaos is that we do our part in making sure it doesn't.
Humans apparently beat Neanderthals in the evolutionary game not because we were smarter, faster etc but because we were more cooperative. We looked out for each other on those cold ice age nights; that is why we are here and our bigger brained cousins are not.
Life is hard, okay? Life is hard and then you die. One of the few things that makes it worthwhile is doing our part to make it just that bit more bearable for others, and by extension, ourselves. A proverb from the Bible says "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!" and it's often thought of simply in terms of being hardworking. However, take a moment to truly consider the ant. What is the point of all its labour if not to make the Anthill thrive?
Currently, the prevalent (Western) school of thought is hyper individualistic and encourages us to look out for Number One above all else. I think it's wise to remember that without a social context in which to situate ourselves, each and everyone of us is lost. While you might shine brightly and brilliantly alone, the beauty of the night sky is in its constellations.
Until next time, Peace and Star Signs.