Life. That's what human life is, in this artificial construct we call society.
We spend our lives improving ourselves in comparison to others, dead or alive. But, "life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". It seems natural to spend most of your life trying to catch up to others, such as parents. Racing to make a financial success out of your life to appease your parents before their clocks run out. But what was their success that you have to live up to? It could be working for some huge corporation that's destroying the planet, selling hours of their life just to buy a house for their own parents to live in. "Steven, I didn't sell out son. I bought in. Keep that in mind." We buy in, in an effort to meet or beat our peers, in a cyclical manner that pushes society forwards.
Instead, you do you. Ignore what society demands, so you can truly focus on what you love doing. By doing so, without the distraction of society's demands, what you achieve may better society in an even greater way than if you'd followed the preset path society carved for you.
Yes, this is cynical as sin, and may even sound arrogant or ignorant, but the bottom line is:
Be the best YOU can be. Aim for your dreams, not someone else's.