The Buddhist view is that what we do does matter. We are not fixed unchanging blocks. We are beings whose existence is a flow of causes and conditions connected to the causal flow of all other beings and the world we live in. When we make causes, the effects of those causes change our lives and the lives of everyone else for better or for worse. We are free to perpetuate the same old unwholesome patterns or to create new wholesome ones and these patterns of causes and their effects change the quality of the flow of life. Recognizing this, the Buddha taught that by making good causes it is possible to awaken to the dynamic interdependent nature of life and thereby let go of a narrow selfish view and instead live a life of selfless compassion that brings an end to suffering and is the basis of true happiness.