Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
The purpose of existence is contribution to others rather than selfish acquisition.
In plain terms
We live to give to life not take from it.
What can you take from it?
Focus on giving to others instead of taking for yourself.

Where it applies

  • personal reflection
  • ethical decision making
  • community work

Putting it to work

  • volunteering
  • mentoring others

Questions to consider

  • What is your purpose in life?
  • How can you give more?

Another view

Balancing personal needs with giving is often more complex.

More from William Osler

  1. We can only instill principles, put the student in the right path, give him method, teach him how to study, and early to discern between essentials and non-ess…

    Permalink to quote #4
  2. Humanity has but three great enemies: fever, famine, and war; of these by far the greatest, by far the most terrible, is fever.

    Permalink to quote #6
  3. The natural man has only two primal passions, to get and to beget.

    Permalink to quote #3

Related quotes

  1. This life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.

    Swami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda quote #16
  2. If I can stop one Heart from breaking I shall not live in vain. If I can ease one Life the Aching Or cool one Pain Or help one fainting Robin Unto his Nest aga…

    Emily DickinsonEmily Dickinson quote #19
  3. It is high time the ideal of success should be replaced with the ideal of service ... Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.

    Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein quote #83