James Payn Quotes

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

There's no such thing as altruism.

I'm not selfish at all.

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

My personal philosophy is that people should be extremely selfish for the first half of their life and extremely unselfish for the second half because then they can do the most good.

We'd all like a reputation for generosity, and we'd all like to buy it cheap.

The virtues are lost in self-interest as rivers are lost in the sea.

Good character consists of recognizing the selfishness that inheres in each of us and trying to balance it against the altruism to which we should all aspire. It is a difficult balance to strike, but no definition of goodness can be complete without it.

I don't know if it's ever OK for someone to be selfish. Perhaps there's a time and place to be self-centered, but I think selfish never wins the race.

We are so happy to advise others that occasionally we even do it in their interest.

I guess I'm way too kind and generous, and a saint - if you can believe that!

A rich man without charity is a rogue; and perhaps it would be no difficult matter to prove that he is also a fool.

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!

We are selfish when we are exclusively or predominantly concerned with the good for ourselves. We are altruistic when we are exclusively or predominantly concerned with the good of others.

There are a lot of people who are doing wonderful things, quietly, with no motive of greed, or hostility toward other people, or delusions of superiority.

If I make a new bag I love, I don't keep it.

I'd sell my soul for a good cause.

Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure.

Who among us has the strength to oppose petty egoism, those petty good feelings, pity and remorse?

He who gives what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self sacrifice.

Because I was an only, I had more things, and I remember early on the kick I got from giving stuff away. Despite all the myths about only children not being able to share, actually I've never knowingly met a stingy one.

Wikipedia flourished partly because it was a shrine to altruism.

Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.

To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature.