You know the type -- the jerk who never made anything in his life, yet super-critical of everyone else's work. His opinion is really meaningless, because he's never taken a swing at creating anything in his whole life.

Better to organize a small group of people (online or offline) from scratch, than to "join in" a group on an existing social media platform with millions of users.
Better to create a cheap, cheesy, 4 minute independent movie than to WATCH some movie in the "Top 10 Movies of All Time" list.
Better to know how to cook a basic hamburger than to "be able to" DINE at a $250 a plate restaurant.
Better to know how to sing basic songs than to OWN or LISTEN TO music by the greatest musicians.
Better to create a single, humble app yourself than to have the top 10 apps installed on your smartphone.
Better to build a small shed yourself, than to "appreciate" and/or "desire" various great buildings, homes, mansions.
Better to have a single child than to admire the greatest men who ever lived.
Better to practice the smallest acts of virtue(s), rather than read every Saint biography that exists.
Better to play sports in your backyard, rather than admire/watch/worship the greatest athletes alive.

See the pattern?
Anyone can CONSUME. Anyone can appreciate greatness. That doesn't make you great. That is, eat the best food, watch the best movies, listen to the best music, read the best books, use the best apps, wear the nicest clothes, etc.

But how does that make YOU special? What can YOU do? Those great things you live in, wear, eat, enjoy, etc. are proof that OTHERS are great. Anyone can appreciate or enjoy great things produced by great men. But here's the catch: their greatness doesn't rub off on you. Not even a little bit. It adds nothing to your value.

So what about you? What can YOU create? What talents do YOU have? What have YOU done with the breath that God gave you?

Consuming is like breathing or pooping; everyone does it. It doesn't make you special at all. What makes you interesting (as a potential spouse, or just someone to talk to, be friends with, spend time with) is what you know, what you can do, what you can create. Have you wasted your life, or done something with it?

Obviously the older you are, the more you need to show for your life. But if you don't have 1 or 2 specialties that you're good at, and/or something to show for the decades you've been alive, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING with your life? Watching TV? Being a loser? Playing video games? What a waste.

Obviously the older you are, the more you need to show for your life. But if you don't have 1 or 2 specialties that you're good at, and/or something to show for the decades you've been alive, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING with your life?

Not sure how I would answer that.  I don't see myself as someone who has made/created/done anything special.  Despite making definite mistakes over the course of my life, I've just tried (and keep trying) hard to be the best Catholic, wife, daughter, and sister I could (can) be. 

Not sure how I would answer that.  I don't see myself as someone who has made/created/done anything special.  Despite making definite mistakes over the course of my life, I've just tried (and keep trying) hard to be the best Catholic, wife, daughter, and sister I could (can) be.

Well, I don't mean to be harsh on any given person, but it is a fact that God will judge us for how we spent the time and talents He gave us. Remember the parable of the Ten Talents.
Reminding everyone of that fact is a public service.

As for the past which can't be changed, remember the quote we hear at the beginning of every Lent: "Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation" We can always do better going forward.

Everyone should have at least offspring as a sort of creation, and even if it's God's will that one be single for his whole life, you still need to be doing something with your life besides enjoying yourself and consuming/experiencing/doing what you want 24/7. Everyone should have been able to figure that out. And anyone who hasn't figured that out yet -- it's time to clue yourself in. If you're life-long single, it behooves you to join or create an apostolate to do some good for the Church. Otherwise, how does a single person avoid being 100% selfish, when there is literally no one around you to serve? When there is no one or nothing around you to curb your every selfish desire? We can be morally certain that God didn't create you to binge watch TV shows, play video games all day, check off a massive bucket list of experiences and activities, see the world, etc.

When you're not wasting time, you're either building up (serving) someone or something, practicing a skill, etc. There are really only 2 pursuits: selfish, and non-selfish. But even some selfish pursuits can build up your talents/abilities and produce creative content.  Only the worst, time-wasting selfish pursuits are sources of regret later in life.

But just to be clear: I sincerely hope that you, and everyone else here on CathInfo, fares well at the Judgment.

If building relationships and being their to counsel someone in need is something special, then maybe you have done that.  I know that you have helped me much here are CI.

I'm glad if I've helped anyone.  I think the point of my post was to question what is considered doing or making or creating.  Is trying to be the best Catholic one can be not enough? Doesn't that manifest in many ways? Isn't just fulfilling your vocation to the best of your ability "doing"? Obviously if our lives revolve around ourselves that's called being selfish.  That's a sin.  And we confess and work to be less selfish (ie. a better Catholic).

I've/We've helped out parents financially multiple times.  Is that doing something special?  Or is that just doing the right thing as a Catholic?  

My point was that it's better to be a participator in life than a spectator.

We're not meant to live vicariously through others. Also, I wanted to point out that everyone has the capacity to "enjoy" good food -- what's more difficult and challenging is *trying* and *working* to learn the skill of cooking. Even if you only reach 1/10 the level of the "greats", that's better overall. Having high taste and admiring the greats doesn't make you great.

There are some with humble talents, who haven't been given much -- for them, needless to say, it is fitting that they not be super critical of anyone and everyone who tries to create something. Usually that is not a problem. So my Original Post wasn't really dedicated to such people.

But in the last couple decades I've heard and seen the "type" I referred to at the beginning of the OP. The proverbial "jerk" who criticizes everyone's work, and he basically claims, "Yeah, I haven't made anything myself, because I would only bother if it would be #1" so instead he pursues the path of a lazy bum who just enjoys the work of others -- while criticizing every artist and creator, as if the rest of the world exists to entertain him and give him pleasure.

That was who I had in mind, as I wrote the OP.

People on CathInfo seem to do both.  Spectate and participate.