Altruism, the art of selfless giving, connects us to our shared humanity and reminds us of the profound impact a single act of kindness can have.
These quotes illuminate the heart of altruism and inspire us to give freely, expecting nothing in return.
Best Altruism Quotes
“Love and kindness are never wasted.” – Barbara De Angelis
“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something for someone else.” – Barack Obama
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions.” – Amelia Earhart
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
“True generosity is an offering; given freely and out of pure love. No strings attached. No expectations.” – Suze Orman
“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” – Maya Angelou
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.” – Muhammad Ali
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” – Oscar Wilde
“Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people.” – Roy T. Bennett
“Altruism is the root of all that is good.” – Dalai Lama
“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain
“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.” – Helen Keller
“It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” – Kahlil Gibran
“You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force.” – Publilius Syrus
“Altruism is the ultimate form of wisdom.” – Buddha
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Albert Einstein
“The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.” – Hada Bejar
“An effort made for the happiness of others lifts us above ourselves.” – Lydia Maria Child
“Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.” – Frank A. Clark
“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” – James Keller
“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” – John Holmes
“Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion. Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return.” – Buddha
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” – Pablo Picasso
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank
“Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.” – Dalai Lama
“Altruism is the purest form of joy.” – Leo Tolstoy
“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” – Henry David Thoreau
“The most fulfilling way to spend your life is to give to others.” – Oprah Winfrey
“Give, even if you only have a little.” – Buddha
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” – Kahlil Gibran
“There’s no better exercise for the heart than reaching out and lifting others up.” – John Andrew Holmes
“We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” – Steve Maraboli
“Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.” – Kahlil Gibran
“Altruism is love in action.” – Erich Fromm
“Do good for others. It will come back in unexpected ways.” – Unknown
“Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.” – Charles Glassman
“Charity begins at home but should not end there.” – Thomas Fuller
“Love grows when it is shared.” – Radhanath Swami
“The act of giving is more important than the value of the gift.” – Debasish Mridha
“Helping others is the way we help ourselves.” – Oprah Winfrey
“Generosity consists not the sum given, but the manner in which it is bestowed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little and give much.” – Plato
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward.” – Princess Diana
“The heart that gives, gathers.” – Tao Te Ching
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Ian Maclaren
“True kindness expects no reward.” – Unknown
“Life becomes easier and more beautiful when we see the good in others.” – Roy T. Bennett
“The truest measure of a person is how they treat someone who can do them no good.” – Samuel Johnson
“Compassion is the wish to see others free from suffering.” – Dalai Lama
“The gift of love is the only gift that grows as we give it away.” – Unknown
“The most noble thing one can do is to give to others without expecting anything in return.” – Unknown
“To give your time is the greatest gift you can give.” – Unknown
“A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” – Buddha
“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa
“True charity is the desire to be useful to others with no thought of recompense.” – Emanuel Swedenborg
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“The highest form of wisdom is kindness.” – Unknown
“Generosity takes courage.” – Maya Angelou
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu
“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.” – Francis of Assisi
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” – J.M. Barrie
“The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up.” – Mark Twain
“The more you give away, the more happy you become.” – Unknown
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” – Maya Angelou
“The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.” – Corrie Ten Boom
“Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.” – Ben Carson
“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” – Leo Tolstoy
“The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” – William James
“You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
“The most truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward.” – Carol Ryrie Brink
“Altruism is the best way to find meaning in life.” – Unknown
“Acts of kindness are greater than grand intentions.” – Oscar Wilde
“A life not lived for others is not a life.” – Mother Teresa
“Helping hands are holier than praying lips.” – Sai Baba
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—that is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” – Robert F. Kennedy
“When you give with a full heart, the world gives back in unimaginable ways.” – Unknown
“Giving opens the way for receiving.” – Florence Scovel Shinn
“Service is what life is all about.” – Marian Wright Edelman
“Be the person who makes others feel seen, heard, and loved.” – Unknown
“A kind word is like a spring day.” – Russian Proverb
“True love is selfless. It is prepared to sacrifice.” – Sadhu Vaswani
“The love we give away is the only love we keep.” – Elbert Hubbard
“Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference.” – Kathy Calvin
“The only gift is a portion of thyself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Every sunrise is an invitation to brighten someone’s day.” – Richelle E. Goodrich
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away through kindness.” – Unknown
“Altruism is the highest form of wisdom.” – Unknown
“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The power of giving is profound and infinite.” – Unknown
“The best way to multiply happiness is to share it with others.” – Unknown
“There is no joy equal to that of being able to help others.” – Unknown
“Giving is the greatest act of grace.” – Unknown
“Kindness has a beautiful way of reaching down into a weary heart and making it shine.” – Unknown
“To give is to receive.” – Lao Tzu
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” – Mother Teresa
“The heart that loves is always young.” – Greek Proverb
“The world changes when someone chooses to care.” – Unknown
“Nothing liberates our greatness like the desire to help, the desire to serve.” – Marianne Williamson
“The most treasured gifts are those given with an open heart.” – Unknown
“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal.” – Rumi
“One who knows how to show and accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession.” – Sophocles
“Kindness is like snow—it beautifies everything it covers.” – Kahlil Gibran
“The only thing that will matter in the end is what we did for others.” – Unknown
“The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.” – Henry Boyle
“The joy of brightening other lives becomes the magic of existence.” – Unknown
“The miracle is this: the more we share, the more we have.” – Leonard Nimoy
“When we give, we grow.” – David Packard
“Be the light that helps others see.” – Unknown
“Giving freely and expecting nothing in return is the foundation of humanity.” – Unknown
“The golden way is to be friends with the world and to regard the whole human family as one.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“One act of generosity creates a ripple effect of kindness.” – Unknown