--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the best way of doing good to the…" description: "\"“I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled muc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/benjamin-franklin-65_doing-good_i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-th_2299752.jpg" --- # I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not… ![“I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor the less they provided for themselves, and of…” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/benjamin-franklin-65_doing-good_i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-th_2299752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/benjamin-franklin-65_doing-good_i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-th_2299752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/benjamin-franklin-65_doing-good_i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-th_2299752.jpg) > ““I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.”” [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages self-reliance over dependency, suggesting aid should empower rather than sustain poverty. **In simple terms:** Help the poor become self‑sufficient, not dependent. Key Takeaway Promote empowerment, not handouts. Themes self‑reliance poverty public policy empowerment economics Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical policy educational When to use this quote - government assistance programs - charitable initiatives - community development - education funding - micro‑enterprise support Key Concepts social welfare incentive structures human behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance assistance with empowerment? - What safeguards prevent aid from creating dependency? A Different Perspective Overly minimal aid can leave vulnerable people without essential safety nets. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-good/) [Easy Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-poverty-5433321/) [Good Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-poor-4493240/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Poverty Leading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-leading-4933284/) [Provisions Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/provisions-poor-2519309/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) ## Related quotes > [“I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-am-for-doing-good-to-the-poor-but-i-think-the-best-way-of-doing/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion about the means. I think the best way of doing good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-am-for-doing-good-to-the-poor-but-i-differ-in-opinion-about-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [ \[T\]he more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer . . . \[taking\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/t-he-more-public-provisions-were-made-for-the-poor-the-less-they/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In my youth, I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-my-youth-i-traveled-much-and-i-observed-in-different-countries/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Men are good. But they are poor victims making themselves miserable under the false belief that they are doing good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/men-are-good-but-they-are-poor-victims-making-themselves-miserable/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“there is a loneliness in this world so great that you can see it in the slow movement of the hands of a clock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-is-a-loneliness-in-this-world-so-great-that-you-can-see-it-in/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [They gave me star treatment when I was making a lot of money. But I was just as good when I was poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/they-gave-me-star-treatment-when-i-was-making-a-lot-of-money-but-i/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [“At the same time there was the good of the poor and the good of the rich. And the good of the whites, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/at-the-same-time-there-was-the-good-of-the-poor-and-the-good-of-the/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [The most acceptable service of God is doing good to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-most-acceptable-service-of-god-is-doing-good-to-man/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“I found this method safest for myself and very embarrassing to those against whom I used it; therefore I took a delight in it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-found-this-method-safest-for-myself-and-very-embarrassing-to-those/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Do well by doing good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/do-well-by-doing-good/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [If I knew a miser, who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/if-i-knew-a-miser-who-gave-up-every-kind-of-comfortable-living-all/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [We are spirits. That bodies should be lent us while they afford us pleasure, assist us in acquiring knowledge or in doing good to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/we-are-spirits-that-bodies-should-be-lent-us-while-they-afford-us/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“... the Existence of Deity, that he made the World, and govern'd it by his Providence; that the most acceptable Service of God was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-existence-of-deity-that-he-made-the-world-and-govern-d-it-by-his/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“I never doubted, for instance, the existence of the Deity; that he made the world, and governed it by his providence; that the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-never-doubted-for-instance-the-existence-of-the-deity-that-he-made/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More by Benjamin Franklin > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/give-me-26-lead-soldiers-and-i-will-conquer-the-world/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the affairs of this world, men are saved not by faith, but by the want of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-the-affairs-of-this-world-men-are-saved-not-by-faith-but-by-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and endless in duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-heaven-we-understand-a-state-of-happiness-infinite-in-degree-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-have-thought-that-wild-flowers-might-be-the-alphabet-of-angels/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-do-you-become-better-tomorrow-by-improving-yourself-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Little leaks sink the ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/little-leaks-sink-the-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/who-is-rich-he-that-is-content-who-is-that-nobody/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“But on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/but-on-the-whole-though-i-never-arrived-at-the-perfection-i-had-been/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The good particular men may do separately, in relieving the sick, is small, compared with what they may do collectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-good-particular-men-may-do-separately-in-relieving-the-sick-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Love your Neighbour; yet don't pull down your Hedge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/love-your-neighbour-yet-don-t-pull-down-your-hedge/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/take-counsel-in-wine-but-resolve-afterwards-in-water/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [He that's secure is not safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-s-secure-is-not-safe/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Explore all 1,692 Benjamin Franklin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More Doing good quotes > [There's nothing like getting feedback that's positive and supportive. That's what I'm all about. I'm really just genuinely doing good music. I'm not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-villarreal/there-s-nothing-like-getting-feedback-that-s-positive-and-supportive/) [Tiffany Villarreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-villarreal/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [When things are going bad that does not mean God has stopped doing good It's mean He is shifting things around you to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christianquotes/when-things-are-going-bad-that-does-not-mean-god-has-stopped-doing/) [ChristianQuotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christianquotes/) > [“doing good required taking risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/doing-good-required-taking-risks/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neoliberal-politics-they-are/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“Rich and famous and doing good," mused Schlichtmann. "Rich isn't so difficult. Famous isn't so difficult. Rich and famous together aren't so difficult. Rich,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-harr/rich-and-famous-and-doing-good-mused-schlichtmann-rich-isn-t-so/) [Jonathan Harr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-harr/) > [There is only one way of not hating those who do us wrong, and that is by doing them good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/there-is-only-one-way-of-not-hating-those-who-do-us-wrong-and-that-is/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [“What is an artist? For every thousand people there's nine hundred doing the work, ninety doing well, nine doing good, and one lucky bastard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/what-is-an-artist-for-every-thousand-people-there-s-nine-hundred/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Being a good person is appreciable. But doing good things in life is what shows others who really you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/being-a-good-person-is-appreciable-but-doing-good-things-in-life-is/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [As long as any one has the means of doing good to his neighbours, and does not do so, he shall be reckoned a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/as-long-as-any-one-has-the-means-of-doing-good-to-his-neighbours-and/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) > [My mum supported me after she saw I was doing good in weightlifting, I was able to get a scholarship, I was able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hidilyn-diaz/my-mum-supported-me-after-she-saw-i-was-doing-good-in-weightlifting-i/) [Hidilyn Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hidilyn-diaz/) > [We've always tried to convey these strong messages of strength and power and doing good in the world and, at the same time, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/we-ve-always-tried-to-convey-these-strong-messages-of-strength-and/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [The pulpit only "teaches" to be honest; the market-place "trains" to overreaching and fraud; and teaching has not a tithe of the efficiency of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/the-pulpit-only-teaches-to-be-honest-the-market-place-trains-to/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-not-to-preach-the-doing-of-good-things-good-deeds-are-not-to/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Even if everyone elseIs not doing good,I alone will.Even if everyone elseis doing wrong,I alone will not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/even-if-everyone-elseis-not-doing-good-i-alone-will-even-if-everyone/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) [Browse all 783 Doing good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Franklin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-the-poor-is-not-making-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-the-poor-is-not-making-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/benjamin-franklin-65_doing-good_i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-th_2299752.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/benjamin-franklin-65_doing-good_i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-th_2299752.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/benjamin-franklin-65_doing-good_i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-th_2299752.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving…” — Benjamin Franklin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Benjamin Franklin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I think the best way of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-the-poor-is-not-making-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-think-the-best-way-of-doing-good-to-the-poor-is-not-making-them/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```