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In today’s world of consumerism, it’s easy to extract value without creating much yourself. Millions of office workers all over the world pretend they’re hard at work, while on their screens you can see solitaire, social media sites, memes, or any other distraction that helps them to pass time until they can go home.

Instead of supporting somebody else’s efforts or creating something themselves, millions of people pass time by hating the things that were created by others. For example, watch pretty much any video on YouTube and you’re guaranteed to see critical (if not blatantly hate-filled) comments, no matter how high the quality of the content and presentation is. Look at other comments that were posted by the same people, and you’ll often find that their primary occupation in life is (unconstructively) criticizing the work of others without ever creating anything themselves.

Instead of bettering themselves and encouraging others to do the same, millions seek to live their lives in the easiest way possible, even at the expense of their moral principles.

Harness the power of self-discipline to create more value than you extract. In addition to making the world a better place, it will serve as a powerful exercise in self-control and transform your mindset to that of a producer, a person who will always be valued in society, regardless of the economy or location .

For example, whenever you ask somebody for advice, share the knowledge with two or more other people. At work, try to do your best — and if your job doesn’t excite you enough to do so, do everybody a favor and find a different job that will let you contribute to the world in a better way. Support other creators instead of criticizing them. Don’t always wait for somebody else to take the initiative: step forward and organize something yourself.

Resist the temptation to consume without ever contributing much yourself. The more value you create, the better off everyone is — and the more that eventually comes back to you.