Altruism Quotes

• Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Integrity, Selfish, Creativity

  Martin Luther King Jr. (1963). “Strength to Love”

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• The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Encouragement, Freedom, Business

  "The Power of Purpose: Find Meaning, Live Longer, Better". Book by Richard Leider, p. 35., 2010.

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• The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

  Mitch Albom

  Life, Commitment, Tuesdays With Morrie

  FaceBook post by Mitch Albom from Aug 03, 2010

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  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

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  Albert Pike (1899). “Ex Corde Locutiones...: Words from the Heart Spoken of His Dead Brethren...”

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• I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.

  Dalai Lama

  Inspirational, Peace, Pain

  The 14th Dalai Lama's Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, www.nobelprize.org. December 10, 1989.

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• Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  Martin Luther King Jr. (1963). “Strength to Love”

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• The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.

  Nelson Henderson

  Inspirational, Life, Graduation

  "Under Whose Shade". Book by Wesley Henderson, 1982.

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• The root of happiness is altruism - the wish to be of service to others.

  Dalai Lama

  Roots, Wish, Service To Others

  "The Dalai Lama at Harvard: Lectures on the Buddhist Path to Peace". Book by Jeffrey Hopkins, 1988.

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• Let us try to teach generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish.

  Richard Dawkins

  Selfish, Philosophical, Thought Provoking

  Richard Dawkins (2006). “The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary edition”, p.9, OUP Oxford

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• True compassion is not just an emotional response, but a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change, even if they behave negatively. Through universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others: the wish to help them actively overcome their problems.

  Dalai Lama

  Change, Wise, Wisdom

  Dalai Lama XIV, Rajiv Mehrotra (2010). “In My Own Words: An Introduction to My Teachings and Philosophy”, p.9, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• Altruism is the best source of happiness. There is no doubt about that.

  Dalai Lama

  Doubt, Source, Source Of Happiness

  Source: www.worldreligionnews.com

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• Infinite altruism is the basis of peace and happiness. If you want altruism, you must control hate and you must practice patience. The main teachers of patience are our enemies.

  Dalai Lama

  Teacher, Hate, Practice

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• Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own.

  H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

  Love, Relationship, Happiness

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• Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil.

  Robert A. Heinlein

  Self, Roots, Evil

  Robert A. Heinlein (1987). “Time Enough for Love”, p.233, Penguin

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• There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow men. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.

  Walter Reuther

  Inspirational, Wisdom, Helping Others

  Walter Reuther (1961). “Selected Papers”, New York : Macmillan

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• A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.

  A. A. Milne

  Inspirational, Friendship, Relationship

  A. A. Milne (2012). “Winnie-the-Pooh”, p.93, Egmont UK

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• Altruism is innate, but it's not instinctual. Everybody's wired for it, but a switch has to be flipped.

  David Rakoff

  Innate, Flipped

  "Altruism: Better Late Than Never" by Paula Gardner, www.huffingtonpost.com. July 28, 2016.

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• The most popular form of altruism is giving to others the advice you cannot use yourself.

  Evan Esar

  Giving, Advice, Use

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• Altruism is masked self-interest. Aggressive self-interest is a masked urge to self-destruction.

  Greg Bear

  Self, Destruction, Aggressive

  Greg Bear (2014). “The Forge of God”, p.246, Open Road Media

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• I have often wondered whether a person is justified in neglecting his own family to fight for opportunities for others.

  Nelson Mandela

  Family, Fighting, Opportunity

  Nelson Mandela (2011). “Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations”, p.147, Pan Macmillan

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• Charity should be spontaneous. Calculated altruism is an affront.

  Edward Abbey

  Charity, Spontaneous, Affront

  Edward Abbey (2015). “A Voice Crying in the Wilderness”, p.15, RosettaBooks

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• What are you doing for others?

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Kings, Helping Others, Volunteer

  Jim Haskins, James Haskins, Martin Luther King (Jr.) (1992). “I have a dream: the life and words of Martin Luther King, Jr”, Millbrook Pr

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• The practice of altruism is the authentic way to live as a human being, and it is not just for religious people. As human beings, our purpose is to live meaningful lives, to develop a warm heart. There is meaning in being everyone's friend. The real source of peace amongst our families, friends and neighbours is love and compassion.

  Dalai Lama

  Meaningful, Religious, Real

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• If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject.

  Ayn Rand

  Men, Civilization, Religion

  Ayn Rand (1984). “Philosophy: Who Needs It”, p.63, Penguin

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• True happiness comes from having a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved by cultivating altruism, love and compassion, and by eliminating anger, selfishness and greed.

  Dalai Lama

  Happy, Compassion, Greed

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