Philip Yancey Quotes

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'

I believe that the human motive to share is very powerful. The human motive to profit is also very powerful, and I think that the profit motive and the sharing motive are not exclusive.

There's no such thing as altruism.

In the military, they give medals for people who are willing to sacrifice themselves so that others may survive. In business, we give bonuses to people who sacrifice others.

If you love friends, you will serve your friends. If you love community, you will serve your community. If you love money, you will serve your money. And if you love only yourself, you will serve only yourself. And you will have only yourself.

The major forces in human nature: self interest and caring for others

I'm not too selfish or unselfish.

This idea of selfishness as a virtue, as opposed to generosity: That, to me, is unnatural.

Every forward is selfish, and any forward who tells you he is not selfish is a liar.

The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines.

If a person loves only one other person, and is indifferent to his fellow men, his love is not love but a symbiotic attachment, or an enlarged egotism.

I don't believe we're only motivated by our own self-interests. Often out of crisis comes this enormous wellspring of generosity and motivation.

The world is so competitive, aggressive, consumive, selfish and during the time we spend here we must be all but that.

I know that some of the spiritual beliefs that I have are that if I come from a place of love, and I try to get out of my ego and my desire to want more and be selfish in any shape or form, then whatever I'm doing is not good.

I'm really interested in the difference between selfishness and generosity. It confuses me to no end because sometimes it all just feels like pure indulgence on my part.

I hate liberality - nine times out of ten it is cowardice, and the tenth time lack of principle.

Love is always a stranger in the house of avarice.

When you go out there and do the things you're supposed to do, people view you as selfish.

True generosity is too frequently eaten up by prosperity and riches.

Without love, we are not free from our own self interest.

The whole history of the world has been the struggle between the selfish and the unselfish.

Wealth and compassion are opposites.

One who has no love in his heart will try to possess everything for himself. One who has love in his heart is ready to sacrifice everything, including his own body, for the benefit of others.

There is some pretty powerful self-interest in wanting a future that is not just running storm-to-storm. The argument that I make is not that we aren't competitive and selfish and greedy. We are. We're all of these things. We're complicated, competitive, greedy and nasty, and kind and generous and compassionate.

Every action that we take has some motivation of either being selfish or altruistic. All that adds up.