Samuel Gompers Quotes

You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

History shows that it does not matter who is in power or what revolutionary forces take over the government, those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they had in the beginning.

Every people should be originators of their own destiny.

Carefully avoid all undertakings which depends on others; but let him eagerly pursue that which depends on himself.

Tell the people not to depend on me anymore.

I have always told my daughters not to be dependent on anyone in any capacity.

As Aunt Naomi was listing all the things she was going to do to help this person, her friend stopped her in mid-sentence. "Naomi, girl," she said, "you need to resign as general manager of the universe. You need to learn that sometimes the best way to help a person is to let them help themselves. Otherwise, they never learn how. And they are always going to make their problems your problems."

The wide world is full of people wanting help, Jon. Would that some could find the courage to help themselves. - Lord Commander Mormont

That's the only way we're going to get through these programs. That is true compassion. Having people become dependent on others is not compassion at all.

Doing for people what they can and ought to do for themselves is a dangerous experiment. In the last analysis, the welfare of the workers depends upon their own initiative. Whatever is done under the guise of philanthropy or social morality which in any way lessens initiative is the greatest crime that can be committed against the toilers. Let social busybodies and professional "public morals experts" in their fads reflect upon the perils they rashly invite under this pretense of social welfare.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

One can't indefinitely do for somebody what he is reluctant to do for himself.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

Mama was a country woman with a whole lot of common sense. She understood what most of our neighbors didn't - that I shouldn't grow dependent on anyone except myself. 'One of these days, I ain't gonna be here,' she kept hammering inside my head.

Whether or not we establish freedom rests with ourselves.

If you let other people do it for you, they will do it to you.

If someone else isn't making it happen for you, make it happen yourself.

The idea that somebody else is going to swoop down and play the fairy godmother role is pretty unlikely, so why not take care of yourself?

Take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

Men must necessarily be the active agents of their own well-being and well-doing they themselves must in the very nature of things be their own best helpers.

I don't want to be a burden on anybody.

If I am to truly become an autonomous woman, then I must take over that role of being my own guardian.

No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person.

No, I think it taught me to be independent and never expect a handout and never wait for anybody to hand you anything in any aspect of my life.

It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.'