Don't just "make something". Rather, "make good".

Every so often on Hacker News, there is an article calling upon everyone to "make something". There is the Maker Culture (Wikipedia) and Maker Faire and Maker Spaces. And the mantra is "just make something". Anything. It does't matter. Just Make Something!

I don't agree with this philosophy of life at all. It seems so shallow. A better philosophy is the Catholic (and Aristotelian) one given by Joseph Pieper in his book The Four Cardinal Virtues (archive.org): that the ultimate goal of a human being is to "love the good and accomplish it".

How to do that? Here are some examples from a Guide for Confirmation Sponsors that I received today from my parish:

• Spiritual Works of Mercy
  • Be the first to bring peace; never hold a grudge.
  • Encourage those who are discouraged by difficulties in trials.
  • Give your sympathetic understanding to your friends and family when they are in sorrow
  • Pray for all the people that you know whether they are living or dead.
• Corporal Works of Mercy
  • Freely give to charitable organizations.
  • Give useful clothing to the poor.
  • Help with babysitting.
  • Attend funerals.

I would rather do any of the above works of mercy than make a pinwheel operated by a DC motor controlled by a Raspberry Pi computer.