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 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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• 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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• 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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  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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• There is a growing movement called effective altruism. It's important because it combines both the heart and the head.

  Peter Singer

  Heart, Important, Movement

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• Selfishness beats altruism within groups. Altruistic groups beat selfish groups. Everything else is commentary.

  David Sloan Wilson

  Selfish, Groups, Beats

  David Sloan Wilson (2015). “Does Altruism Exist?: Culture, Genes, and the Welfare of Others”, p.71, Yale University Press

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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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• Happiness is a skill, emotional balance is a skill, compassion and altruism are skills, and like any skill they need to be developed. That's what education is about.

  Matthieu Ricard

  Emotional, Compassion, Skills

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• If you’re in the luckiest one per cent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 per cent.

  Warren Buffett

  Life, Thinking, Helping Others

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• Effective altruism is the form of altruism in which we bring our rational capacities to bear in order to do the most good that we can.

  Peter Singer

  Rational

  Source: www.npr.org

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• A large part of altruism, even when it is perfectly honest, is grounded upon the fact that it is uncomfortable to have unhappy people about one.

  H. L. Mencken

  People, Unhappy, Charity

  H.L. Mencken (2012). “Mencken Chrestomathy”, p.17, Vintage

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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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• True leadership is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you.

  J. Oswald Sanders

  Leadership, Giving, Missionary

  J. Oswald Sanders (2008). “Spiritual Leadership, Spiritual Discipleship, Spiritual Maturity Set of 3 Sanders books”, p.16, Moody Publishers

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