Charles William Eliot Quotes

I always put myself second - I like to make others happy.

It is for others one must learn to do everything; for there lies the secret of happiness.

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

It's that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so 'don't fuss, dear; get on with it.'

I think I'm still figuring out how to be a little less selfish.

The truly generous is the truly wise, and he who loves not others lives unblest!

There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.

An effort made for the happiness of others lifts above ourselves.

I'm not very interested in myself. I do have a deep moral belief that you should always look out at other things and not be self-centred.

Modern conveniences grant us more free time to focus on spiritual needs and devote more time to personal service. But the basic element which should never change in the lives of righteous young women is giving service to others.

True charity is the desire to be useful to others with no thought of recompense.

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.

I hope that what I am today is of positive benefit to other people.

We have to humble ourselves and the way you do that is by serving other people.

The most important thing in anyone's life is to be giving something. The quality I can give is fun and joy and happiness. This is my gift.

If selfishness is the key to being miserable, then selflessness must be the key to being happy!

What greater bliss than to look back on days spent in usefulness, in doing good to those around us.

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.

My mother wasn't a very patient woman. If I complained about being lonely or bored, she'd tell me to go help someone, anyone. To this day, when I start feeling sorry for myself, I look for a good deed to do.

I know nothing worth the living for but usefulness and the service of my fellow-creatures. The only object I pursue is to increase, as far as lies in my power, the quantity of their knowledge and goodness and happiness.

The most important thing is you have to want to do something for somebody other than yourself.

Heroes are people who think more of others than themselves. This is not to say that they don't think of themselves. They do. They certainly do. But they think of others more.

I always want to be a person who challenges herself to be a better person and spends her time giving rather than receiving.

I always try to have a positive and warm intention that is not about me. It is easy to make everything about yourself. But you take the weight off when we make it about the audience. It's about the joy you can bring to somebody else instead of the joy that you get from doing it.

I hope I contribute something useful to the human family. That's my intention. And I hope that it's useful to people.