Someone asked a Saint, The world has become so bad. Why don't you do something to reform it?
The Saint replied, The world is like a dogs tail. You can try your level best but it wont become straight. God incarnated Himself as Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, many Saints and holy men persevered towards this end but were unable to completely reform the world.
The man felt insulted. He said, If the world is like this then why are you engaged in establishing so many ashrams, why do you invite the people to join your cause, saying that the country needs the service of brave and valiant men? Why are you doing all this?
The Saint replied, It is not to reform the entire world, but at least those who follow the precepts will certainly change for the better. The whole world may not be reformed, but at least those few who join me in public welfare activities will definitely undergo a change of heart, their intellect will be purified, they will utilise their time better, their wealth will attain best utilization and their families will be reformed as well.
How lofty the Saints ideas are! They do not boast of reforming the world, and yet it is they through whom the divine acts of beneficence are executed; whereupon the world along with those, who actively participate in the divine endeavours of these Saints, are enormously benefited.