Comment by mceoin

"Pay it forwards" is the general advice here, and I think it is generally correct in the macro/social sense.

Although not completely analogous, helping people is similar to gifting. In gifting societies, we don't give to someone with the expectation of a direct benefit in return (A -> B, B -> A). Instead, it's more of a long arc that goes around a corner and returns in an indirect sense (A --> B --> C --> ... --> A).

When you layer time succession in, helping others progresses more like the circle of life. It often doesn't make sense to give back directly — your professors are already at the peak of their careers — but we can give back to society. In doing so, we increase the resonance of the gift that was given.

Often, the role of the receiver is simply to receive. On the other hand, Tuesdays with Morrie is a book that speaks to a gentler form of directly giving back to elders as they age.