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Do your neighbour good by all means in your power, moral as well as physical - by kindness, by patience, by unflinching resistance against every outward evil - by the silent preaching of your own contrary life. But if the only good you can do him is by talking at him, or about him - nay, even to him, if it be in a self-satisfied, super-virtuous style - such as I earnestly hope the present writer is not doing - you had much better leave him alone. ~ Ch. 8

Dinah Maria Mulock#23

ActionHumilityKindnessLeadershipService

About this quote

What does it mean?
Do good through actions and life, not just preaching, especially if it is self-satisfied.
In plain terms
Do good by living well, not just talking.
What can you take from it?
Live good, don't just preach.

Where it applies

  • giving advice
  • leading others
  • self-righteousness

Putting it to work

  • leading by example
  • listening more than speaking

Questions to consider

  • How do you balance words and actions?
  • When does preaching harm?

Another view

Sometimes words are necessary to do good.

More from Dinah Maria Mulock

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  2. The world! It is a word capable of as diverse interpretations or misinterpretations as the thing itself - a thing by various people supposed to belong to heave…

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  3. Let every one of us cultivate, in every word that issues from our mouth, absolute truth. I say cultivate, because to very few people - as may be noticed of mos…

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