To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
You are beginning to see that any man to whom you can do favor is your friend, and that you can do a favor to almost anyone.
—Mark Caine
If my daughter, Liza, wants to become an actress, I’ll do everything to help her.
—Judy Garland (1922–69) American Actress, Singer
A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
—Anonymous
These unhappy times call for the building of plans that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more in the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
I’ve always thought that people need to feel good about themselves and I see my role as offering support to them, to provide some light along the way.
—Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–97) English Royal, Humanitarian, Peace Activist
One does nothing who tries to console a despondent person with word. A friend is one who aids with deeds at a critical time when deeds are called for.
—Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus) (c.250–184 BCE) Roman Comic Playwright
Take the trouble to stop and think of the other person’s feelings, his viewpoints, his desires and needs. Think more of what the other fellow wants, and how he must feel.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
We all need each other.
—Leo Buscaglia (1924–98) American Motivational Speaker
In walking, the will and the muscles are so accustomed to working together and performing their task with so little expenditure of force that the intellect is left comparatively free.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
We do not quite forgive a giver. The hand that feeds us is in some danger of being bitten.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
God helps them that help themselves.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The truest help we can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out his best energy, that he may be able to bear the burden.
—Phillips Brooks (1835–93) American Episcopal Clergyman, Author
We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent on it’s vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all committed, for our safety, to it’s security and peace. Preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work and the love we give our fragile craft.
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–65) American Diplomat, Politician, Orator
We are all of us, more or less, the slaves of opinion.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Oh you weak, beautiful people who give up with such grace. What you need is someone to take hold of you
—Tennessee Williams (1911–83) American Playwright
No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Doing things for others always pays dividends…
—Claude M. Bristol (1891–1951) American Journalist, Self-Help Author
Help a man against his will and you do the same as murder him.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
There is the sky, which is all men’s together.
—Euripides (480–406 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
Everything in the world we want to do or get done, we must do with and through people.
—Earl Nightingale (1921–89) American Motivational Speaker, Author
Every great man is always being helped by everybody, for his gift is to get good out of all things and all persons.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can.
—Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–97) English Royal, Humanitarian, Peace Activist
We do not exist for ourselves…
—Thomas Merton (1915–68) American Trappist Monk
One right and honest definition of business is mutual helpfulness.
—William Feather (1889–1981) American Publisher, Author
The race of mankind would perish, did they cease to aid each other. From the time that the mother binds the child’s head till the moment that some kind assistant wipes the death-damp from the brow of the dying, we cannot exist without mutual help. All, therefore, that need aid have a right to ask it from their fellow-mortals; no one who holds the power of granting can refuse it without guilt.
—Walter Scott (1771–1832) Scottish Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Lawyer
People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.
—Vince Lombardi, Jr. (1913–70) American Football Player, Coach
This is Democratic bedrock: we don’t let people lie in the ditch and drive past and pretend not to see them dying. Here on the frozen tundra of Minnesota, if your neighbor’s car won’t start, you put on your parka and get the jumper cables out and deliver the Sacred Spark that starts their car. Everybody knows this. The logical extension of this spirit is social welfare and the myriad government programs with long dry names all very uninteresting to you until you suddenly need one…
—Garrison Keillor (b.1942) American Author, Humorist, Radio Personality