Advising is easier than helping.
—German Proverb
Sometime in your life, hope that you might see one starved man, the look on his face when the bread finally arrives. Hope that you might have baked it or bought or even kneaded it yourself. For that look on his face, for your meeting his eyes across a piece of bread, you might be willing to lose a lot, or suffer a lot, or die a little, even.
—Daniel Berrigan (b.1921) American Catholic Poet, Peace Activist, Priest
Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life.
—Norman Cousins (1912–1990) American Political Journalist
If you want to be important – that’s wonderful. If you want to be great – that’s wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s your new definition of greatness – it means that everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know the second law of thermodynamics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love…
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
—Swedish Proverb
There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he be willing to climb himself.
—Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) Scottish-American Industrialist
If you have no will to change it, you have no right to criticize it.
—Unknown
If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
You can’t lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself.
—Gene Mauch (1925–2005) American Sportsperson
Find a need and fill it.
—Ruth Stafford Peale (1906–2008) American Self-Help Author, Speaker
Every man feels instinctively that all the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action.
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
When we are certain that the way to accomplish our own wishes is to help others, we have no regrets.
—Sakyong Mipham (b.1962) Tibetan-American Buddhist Lama, Head of Shambhala
Do not commit the error, common among the young, of assuming that if you cannot save the whole of mankind you have failed.
—Jan de Hartog (1914–2002) Dutch-American Novelist, Playwright
Instead of counting your days, make your days count.
—Unknown
Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them… he cried, “Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?” God said, “I did do something. I made you”.
—Unknown
Wherever a man turns he can find someone who needs him.
—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French Theologian, Philosopher, Musician, Physician
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
—Albert Pike (1809–91) American Masonic Scholar, Orator, Jurist
Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee, and do not try to make the universe a blind alley.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The deed is everything, the glory naught.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs.
—Bill Clinton (b.1946) American Head of State, Lawyer, Public Speaker
It seems to me that any full grown, mature adult would have a desire to be responsible, to help where he can in a world that needs so very much, that threatens us so very much.
—Norman Lear (1922–2023) American Producer, Television Writer, Activist
We cannot change anything unless we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
God likes help when helping people.
—Irish Proverb
If I thought I was going to die tomorrow, I should nevertheless plant a tree today.
—Stephen Girard (1750–1831) French-born American Financier, Philanthropist
Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor… let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eye, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
Helping others is like helping yourself.
—Henry M. Flagler (1830–1913) American Industrialist
Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who does nothing because he could only do a little.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
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