It is more blessed to give than to receive, and therefore less blessed to receive than to give.
Interpretation
The act of giving brings more joy and fulfillment than the act of receiving.
This quote emphasizes the principle that generosity and altruism are more rewarding than self-interest. It suggests that the true blessings in life come from what we offer to others rather than what we take for ourselves, advocating for a mindset focused on compassion and giving.
In practice
In a speech on philanthropy, one could quote this to inspire listeners about the importance of charitable acts.
I want to feel my own nothingness, I want to give myself up in absolute resignation to God, to lie prostrate and passive at His feet, with no other disposition in my heart than that of merging my will into His will, and no other language in my mouth than that of prayer for the perfecting of His strength in my weakness.
With the magnificence of eternity before us, let time, with all its fluctuations, dwindle into its own littleness.
Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. He may be a blot radiating his dark influence outward to the very circumference of society, or he may be a blessing spreading benediction over the length and breadth of the world. But a blank he cannot be: there are no moral blanks; there are no neutral characters.
Faith is like the hand of the beggar that takes the gift while adding nothing to it.
The people have a right to the truth as they have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Human language can but imperfectly describe God's ways. I am sensible of the fact that they are indescribable and inscrutable. But if mortal man will dare to describe them, he has no better medium than his own inarticulate speech.
Night is falling: at dusk, you must have good eyesight to be able to tell the Good Lord from the Devil.
Man need not be degraded to a machine by being denied to be a ghost in a machine.
The solution as consumers is - perhaps surprisingly - to take adverts very, very seriously. We should ask ourselves what it is that we find lovely in them - the visions of friendship, togetherness, repose, or whatever. And then consider what would actually help us find these qualities in our lives.
Those who speak much are blamed, those who speak little are blamed. In this world there are none who are not blamed. Try not to blame.
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