--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I cared about them. I wanted them to feel…" description: "\"“I cared about them. I wanted them to feel better, to live better lives. And then it occurred to me - I cared about myself. I wanted me to live a bette..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/cate-tiernan-7304_better-life_i-cared-about-them-i-wanted-them-to-feel_1214853.jpg" --- # I cared about them. I wanted them to feel better, to live… ![“I cared about them. I wanted them to feel better, to live better lives. And then it occurred to me - I cared about myself. I wanted me to live a better life, too Caring about myself was allowing me to care about others.” quote by Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/cate-tiernan-7304_better-life_i-cared-about-them-i-wanted-them-to-feel_1214853.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/cate-tiernan-7304_better-life_i-cared-about-them-i-wanted-them-to-feel_1214853.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b6/cate-tiernan-7304_better-life_i-cared-about-them-i-wanted-them-to-feel_1214853.jpg) > ““I cared about them. I wanted them to feel better, to live better lives. And then it occurred to me - I cared about myself. I wanted me to live a better life, too Caring about myself was allowing me to care about others.”” [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Caring for others reveals self-care; helping others and oneself are interconnected. **In simple terms:** Help others, help yourself. Key Takeaway Practice self-compassion while aiding others. Themes altruism self-awareness personal growth Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - mental health - relationship building Key Concepts empathy self-care Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance caring for self and others? - What does self-care look like for you? A Different Perspective Self-care may be neglected if focus is only on others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care About Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care-about-others/) [Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) [Coping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coping/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Live better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-better/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Realization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realization/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) ## Related quotes > [No one cared what she wanted. No one had ever cared. 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She cared about me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/abby-pulled-me-closer-to-her-each-movement-she-made-was-further/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/even-the-rich-are-hungry-for-love-for-being-cared-for-for-being/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [I must be stupid, to think you even cared or wanted to be with me, I guess that's what get for thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-must-be-stupid-to-think-you-even-cared-or-wanted-to-be-with-me-i/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [To talk only about national security, national defense, means to be selfish, ambitious. It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. 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The answer to that depends on your own definition of love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-thomas/some-people-wonder-if-abusers-can-feel-love-or-affection-for-their/) [Shannon Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-thomas/) > [I just think that philanthropy is a fancy way to say that you care about others and that you want to serve others. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priscilla-chan/i-just-think-that-philanthropy-is-a-fancy-way-to-say-that-you-care/) [Priscilla Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priscilla-chan/) ## More by Cate Tiernan > [“How much more satisfying to seduce an angel than a villain?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/how-much-more-satisfying-to-seduce-an-angel-than-a-villain/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [Of course, when we got home, we found that Dagda had peed on my down comforter. He had also eaten part of Mom's maidenhair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/of-course-when-we-got-home-we-found-that-dagda-had-peed-on-my-down/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [Could he actually be my muirn beatha dan?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/could-he-actually-be-my-muirn-beatha-dan/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [“Please, please be some sex-starved nutcase who wants to kidnap me and make me your love slave, I begged silently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/please-please-be-some-sex-starved-nutcase-who-wants-to-kidnap-me-and/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [“Bree smiled at me. "Don't worry about me. I think I can handle him. In fact, I want to handle him," she joked. 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Jenna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/sorry-he-said-rubbing-his-temples-do-you-have-any-tylenol-nope-sorry/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [Being good is something that one must choose over and over again, every day, throughout the day, for the rest of one's life," Asher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/being-good-is-something-that-one-must-choose-over-and-over-again/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [Men are natural warriors, but a woman in battle is truly bloodthirsty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/men-are-natural-warriors-but-a-woman-in-battle-is-truly-bloodthirsty/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [What would it be like to care so little about what other people thought of you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/what-would-it-be-like-to-care-so-little-about-what-other-people/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [I-just want you. 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And the ones on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/i-turned-off-the-griddle-and-shoved-the-heavy-platter-at-ottavio/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [I didn't know where this stuff was coming from - all of a sudden I was a little magickal sprite, bonding with my stone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/i-didn-t-know-where-this-stuff-was-coming-from-all-of-a-sudden-i-was/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) [Explore all 90 Cate Tiernan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) ## More Better life quotes > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [A faithfully kept program of savings and conservative investments can give you more money and a better life than that of your neighbors who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-bryant-quinn/a-faithfully-kept-program-of-savings-and-conservative-investments-can/) [Jane Bryant Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-bryant-quinn/) > [“There is no greater force for change than people inspired to live a better life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/there-is-no-greater-force-for-change-than-people-inspired-to-live-a/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. 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Speak without offending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/tips-for-a-better-life-1-live-without-pretending-2-love-without/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [There is always the possibility of a better life with every change that we face, but sometimes we have to look hard for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowick/there-is-always-the-possibility-of-a-better-life-with-every-change/) [David Bowick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowick/) > [So in the near future, two or three years, people in Kyrgyzstan will experience a better life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurmanbek-bakiyev/so-in-the-near-future-two-or-three-years-people-in-kyrgyzstan-will/) Kurmanbek Bakiyev > [I want to make sure that I fulfill the aspirations of the Gabonese people: to have access to a better life, job opportunities, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-bongo-ondimba/i-want-to-make-sure-that-i-fulfill-the-aspirations-of-the-gabonese/) [Ali Bongo Ondimba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-bongo-ondimba/) > [We will strive to make Taiwan a better place and enable our people to live better lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-will-strive-to-make-taiwan-a-better-place-and-enable-our-people-to/) [Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/) > [The slums are not a place of despair. 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