If you want happiness for an hour—take a nap. If you want happiness for a day—go fishing. If you want happiness for a month—get married. If you want happiness for a year—inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime—help someone else.
—Chinese Proverb
What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
The most important of my discoveries have been suggested to me by my failures.
—Humphry Davy (1778–1829) British Chemist, Science Propagandist
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
—Emily Dickinson (1830–86) American Poet
Instinct teaches us to look for happiness outside ourselves.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up.
—Jesse Jackson (b.1941) American Civil Rights Leader, Minister
True happiness consists in making others happy.
—Indian Proverb
The winner asks, “May I help?” The loser asks, “Do you expect me to do that?”
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
True charity is the desire to be useful to others without thought of recompense.
—Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) Swedish Mystic, Theologian, Scientist
I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.
—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French Theologian, Philosopher, Musician, Physician
The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.
—Mae Maloo
The greatest and the most amiable privilege which the rich enjoy over the poor is that which they exercise the least,—the privilege of making others happy.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses.
—Chinese Proverb
The spirit of brotherhood recognizes of necessity both the need of self-help and also the need of helping others in the only way which every ultimately does great god, that is, of helping them to help themselves.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Historian, Political Leader, Explorer
You cannot always have happiness, but you can always give happiness.
—Unknown
Service can have no meaning unless one takes pleasure in it. When it is done for show or for fear of public opinion it stunts the man and crushes his spirit. Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Combinations of wickedness would overwhelm the world, by the advantage which licentious principles afford, did not those who have long practised perfidy grow faithless to each other.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
I must admit that I personally measure success in terms of the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings.
—Margaret Mead (1901–78) American Anthropologist, Social Psychologist
If all our happiness is bound up entirely in our personal circumstances, it is difficult not to demand of life more than it has to give.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
Look up and not down, look forward and not back, look out and not in, and lend a hand!
—Edward Everett Hale (1822–1909) American Unitarian Clergyman, Writer
There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don’t expect you to save the world I do think it’s not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your live those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect.
—Nikki Giovanni (1943–2024) American Poet, Activist, Professor
There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.
—Henry Drummond
There is no such thing as a “self-made” man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.
—George Matthew Adams (1878–1962) American Newspaper Columnist, Founder of Adams Service
He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth; but he who hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
The more we take the welfare of others to heart and work for their benefit, the more benefit we derive for ourselves. This is a fact that we can see.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b.1935) Tibetan Buddhist Leader, Civil Rights Advocate, Author
Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump; you may be freeing him from being a camel.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
When you give of your possessions, you give but little; it is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-American Philosopher, Poet, Sculptor
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