--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes you try to help people, and it…" description: "\"Sometimes you try to help people, and it backfires on you, and then they try to take advantage of you.\" — Bill Cosby" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/bill-cosby-720_advantage_sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it_1238068.jpg" --- # Sometimes you try to help people, and it backfires on you… ![“Sometimes you try to help people, and it backfires on you, and then they try to take advantage of you.” quote by Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/bill-cosby-720_advantage_sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it_1238068.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/bill-cosby-720_advantage_sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it_1238068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/bill-cosby-720_advantage_sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it_1238068.jpg) > “Sometimes you try to help people, and it backfires on you, and then they try to take advantage of you.” [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Helping others can backfire when people exploit your goodwill, leading to feeling taken advantage of. **In simple terms:** Helping can be exploited. Key Takeaway Guard your generosity. Themes trust exploitation relationships Mood cautious reflective Type advice warning When to use this quote - volunteering - team projects - family support - friendship Key Concepts boundaries reciprocity Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize when help is being misused? - What boundaries protect you from exploitation? A Different Perspective Not all help is appreciated; motives may be selfish. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Backfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backfire/) [Backfires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backfires-774845/) [Backfires Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backfires-try-3855643/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Help people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-people/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Backfires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-backfires-3855641/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Take](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take/) [Take advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-advantage/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Try Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-help/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [It's sort of the mixed blessing of being on television for so long in one thing; sometimes that backfires, in that you're not able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katey-sagal/it-s-sort-of-the-mixed-blessing-of-being-on-television-for-so-long-in/) [Katey Sagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katey-sagal/) > [I used to write things out beforehand. But sometimes it backfires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-barry/i-used-to-write-things-out-beforehand-but-sometimes-it-backfires/) [Todd Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-barry/) > [Protecting underperformers always backfires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/protecting-underperformers-always-backfires/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [Once you feel like you're being dictated by other people's expectations, it usually backfires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/once-you-feel-like-you-re-being-dictated-by-other-people-s/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [Sometimes I stress too much and don't have fun. If you're trying to be perfect, sometimes it backfires on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-pennington/sometimes-i-stress-too-much-and-don-t-have-fun-if-you-re-trying-to-be/) [Chad Pennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-pennington/) > [“When there’s a fire in the country, everyone shows up. It’s an unwritten rule, a universal rural truth. Helping neighbors fight fire on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-there-s-a-fire-in-the-country-everyone-shows-up-it-s-an/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [Every Time You End Up Trusting Somebody, It Backfires On You.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-time-you-end-up-trusting-somebody-it-backfires-on-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You know that saying 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing'? That's so true of positive psychology. Our latest research tells us that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-fredrickson/you-know-that-saying-a-little-knowledge-is-a-dangerous-thing-that-s/) [Barbara Fredrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-fredrickson/) > [When you surround yourself with the wrong people it's going to backfire every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrann-mathieu/when-you-surround-yourself-with-the-wrong-people-it-s-going-to/) [Tyrann Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrann-mathieu/) > [Beyond all the other reasons not to do it, free speech assaults always backfire: they transform bigots into martyrs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/beyond-all-the-other-reasons-not-to-do-it-free-speech-assaults-always/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“But I'm terrified of giving up my career only to have the whole thing backfire in my face. What if I move down there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-cates/but-i-m-terrified-of-giving-up-my-career-only-to-have-the-whole-thing/) [Georgia Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-cates/) > [If in the 1930s nuclear weapons had been invented and the Allies had been faced by Nazi SS20s and Backfire Bombers, would it then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/if-in-the-1930s-nuclear-weapons-had-been-invented-and-the-allies-had/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I think that there is a problem with rewards and consequences because in the long run, they rarely work in the ways we hope.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/i-think-that-there-is-a-problem-with-rewards-and-consequences-because/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [I try to stay away from the more schmaltzy side of things. That can backfire quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolk/i-try-to-stay-away-from-the-more-schmaltzy-side-of-things-that-can/) [James Wolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolk/) > [Jane was my wicked stepmother: she was generous, affectionate and resourceful; she salvaged my schooling and I owe her an unknowable debt for that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/jane-was-my-wicked-stepmother-she-was-generous-affectionate-and/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) ## More by Bill Cosby > [Guys standing around and talking about Spanish fly: 'You know anything about Spanish fly?' 'No, tell me about it.' Well there's this girl Crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/guys-standing-around-and-talking-about-spanish-fly-you-know-anything/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [You come to my comedy show to be entertained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/you-come-to-my-comedy-show-to-be-entertained/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Pay off your student loan. Even if you don't have a job...Because when you finally get a job you're going to be one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/pay-off-your-student-loan-even-if-you-don-t-have-a-job-because-when/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Sex education may be a good idea in the schools, but I don't believe the kids should be given homework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/sex-education-may-be-a-good-idea-in-the-schools-but-i-don-t-believe/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Civilization had too many rules for me, so I did my best to rewrite them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/civilization-had-too-many-rules-for-me-so-i-did-my-best-to-rewrite/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Dentists tell you not to pick your teeth with any sharp metal object. Then you sit in their chair and the first thing they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/dentists-tell-you-not-to-pick-your-teeth-with-any-sharp-metal-object/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [When a person has a gun, sometimes their mind clicks that this thing will win arguments and straighten people out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/when-a-person-has-a-gun-sometimes-their-mind-clicks-that-this-thing/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [The truth is that parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/the-truth-is-that-parents-are-not-really-interested-in-justice-they/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“Parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/parents-are-not-really-interested-in-justice-they-just-want-quiet/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [God has a sense of humor though and he must see funny things in us. He must also have some love. We're still here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/god-has-a-sense-of-humor-though-and-he-must-see-funny-things-in-us-he/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [When you become senile, you won't know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/when-you-become-senile-you-won-t-know-it/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [I feel that in-person contact with people is the most important thing in comedy. While I'm up on stage, I can actually put myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/i-feel-that-in-person-contact-with-people-is-the-most-important-thing/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [It is a point of pride for the American male to keep the same size Jockey shorts for his entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/it-is-a-point-of-pride-for-the-american-male-to-keep-the-same-size/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“The past is a ghost, the future is a dream, and all we ever have is now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/the-past-is-a-ghost-the-future-is-a-dream-and-all-we-ever-have-is-now/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Suddenly, this romantic agony was enriched by a less romantic one: I had to go to the bathroom. Needless to say, I couldn't let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/suddenly-this-romantic-agony-was-enriched-by-a-less-romantic-one-i/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) [Explore all 393 Bill Cosby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [For some reason when I decide to pursue something, I never have any fear that it won't happen. I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed, because there are few of us in the tech industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/i-always-tell-women-that-the-fact-that-you-re-different-and-that-you/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) [Browse all 3,503 Advantage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes you try to help people, and it backfires on you, and then they try to take advantage of you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Cosby" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it-backfires-on-you-and-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advantage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it-backfires-on-you-and-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/bill-cosby-720_advantage_sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it_1238068.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/bill-cosby-720_advantage_sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it_1238068.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/bill-cosby-720_advantage_sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it_1238068.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes you try to help people, and it backfires on you, and then they try to take advantage of you.” — Bill Cosby", "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": "Bill Cosby", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes you try to help people,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it-backfires-on-you-and-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/sometimes-you-try-to-help-people-and-it-backfires-on-you-and-then/#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 } } ] } ```