--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a person has a contribution to make…" description: "\"If a person has a contribution to make, he must make it in public. If learning is not made public, it is a waste.\" — Chaim Potok" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/chaim-potok-2254_contribution_if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-h_2314421.png" --- # If a person has a contribution to make, he must make it in… ![“If a person has a contribution to make, he must make it in public. If learning is not made public, it is a waste.” quote by Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/chaim-potok-2254_contribution_if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-h_2314421.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/chaim-potok-2254_contribution_if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-h_2314421.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/chaim-potok-2254_contribution_if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-h_2314421.png) > “If a person has a contribution to make, he must make it in public. If learning is not made public, it is a waste.” [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contributions and learning only have value when shared openly; secrecy renders effort pointless. **In simple terms:** Sharing makes work meaningful. Key Takeaway Share your ideas openly. Themes communication knowledge impact Mood thoughtful encouraging Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - academic presentations - online blogs - team meetings - public debates Key Concepts public discourse intellectual honesty collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How does public feedback improve your work? - What risks do you fear in sharing? A Different Perspective Private work may still inspire personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't go to film school so my learning was done out in public and showed up on the screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-demme/i-didn-t-go-to-film-school-so-my-learning-was-done-out-in-public-and/) [Jonathan Demme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-demme/) > [I'm aware of the contribution I make and what I can do, even in my private life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-osimhen/i-m-aware-of-the-contribution-i-make-and-what-i-can-do-even-in-my/) [Victor Osimhen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-osimhen/) > [The circumstances of your life have uniquely qualified you to make a contribution. And if you don't make that contribution, nobody else can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/the-circumstances-of-your-life-have-uniquely-qualified-you-to-make-a/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [The most precious contribution we can make here on Earth is to create the lives we want to be living, communicating in all ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/the-most-precious-contribution-we-can-make-here-on-earth-is-to-create/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [Women have an important contribution to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/women-have-an-important-contribution-to-make/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“You have a contribution to make and unique gifts to offer. It's time to stop listening to the voices that tells you that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-a-robinson/you-have-a-contribution-to-make-and-unique-gifts-to-offer-it-s-time/) [Lynn A. Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-a-robinson/) > [We're all called. If you're here breathing, you have a contribution to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/we-re-all-called-if-you-re-here-breathing-you-have-a-contribution-to-2/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I definitely want to be involved but only while I think I can make a contribution and I make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-cunningham/i-definitely-want-to-be-involved-but-only-while-i-think-i-can-make-a/) [Kenny Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-cunningham/) > [“The rest of us need you to act, because if you don't, you're robbing yourself, your peers, your family, your organization, and the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-henry/the-rest-of-us-need-you-to-act-because-if-you-don-t-you-re-robbing/) [Todd Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-henry/) > [The capitalist can only make a whole people go to war . . . by capturing the popular will. The only prophylactic against that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-angell/the-capitalist-can-only-make-a-whole-people-go-to-war-by-capturing/) [Norman Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-angell/) > [“1. How can synagogue leaders transform those events already planned into Public Space Judaism events? 2. How can we reallocate our human and fiscal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-m-olitzky/1-how-can-synagogue-leaders-transform-those-events-already-planned/) [Kerry M. Olitzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-m-olitzky/) > [I definitely think there is a shift happening right now in terms of visibility, but there's still a choice you make as a public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-rachel-wood/i-definitely-think-there-is-a-shift-happening-right-now-in-terms-of/) [Evan Rachel Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-rachel-wood/) > [Press to make the public incapable of judging, to insinuate into it the...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/press-to-make-the-public-incapable-of-judging-to-insinuate-into-it-the/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [We can't make the public vote for a candidate. And I would never want to campaign for any political party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranjeet/we-can-t-make-the-public-vote-for-a-candidate-and-i-would-never-want/) [Ranjeet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranjeet/) > [How many fools does it take to make up a public?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/how-many-fools-does-it-take-to-make-up-a-public/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) ## More by Chaim Potok > [“DW: Some critics have written that they don’t admire your so-called simple style. You have contended that your writing is a result of much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/dw-some-critics-have-written-that-they-don-t-admire-your-so-called/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“I cannot pray. I talk to God through my sculpture and painting.' 'That's also prayer.' He smiled faintly, the morning sun on his face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-cannot-pray-i-talk-to-god-through-my-sculpture-and-painting-that-s/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [I don't work on my Sabbath. I write five-and-a-half or six days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-don-t-work-on-my-sabbath-i-write-five-and-a-half-or-six-days-a-week/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [And these two elements are at odds with one another because Freud is utterly adversary to almost all the ways of structuring the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/and-these-two-elements-are-at-odds-with-one-another-because-freud-is/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“How should a Jew feel? There we went through the seven gates of hell for matzos. Here I stand in matzos over my head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/how-should-a-jew-feel-there-we-went-through-the-seven-gates-of-hell/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“In our time... a man whose enemies are faceless bureaucrats almost never wins. It is our equivalent to the anger of the gods in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/in-our-time-a-man-whose-enemies-are-faceless-bureaucrats-almost-never/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [Seeds must be sown everywhere. Only some will bear fruit. But there would not be the fruit from the few had the many not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/seeds-must-be-sown-everywhere-only-some-will-bear-fruit-but-there/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“Basically it’s none of our business how somebody manages to grow, if only he does grow, if only we’re on the trail of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/basically-it-s-none-of-our-business-how-somebody-manages-to-grow-if/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“I walked the streets and tasted the golden sun that lay across the city.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-walked-the-streets-and-tasted-the-golden-sun-that-lay-across-the/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [What I have in advance are people I want to write about and a problem or problems that I see those people encountering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/what-i-have-in-advance-are-people-i-want-to-write-about-and-a-problem/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“Millions of people can draw. Art is whether there is a scream in you wanting to get out in a special way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/millions-of-people-can-draw-art-is-whether-there-is-a-scream-in-you/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“When the alternative is possible disaster, a man must gamble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/when-the-alternative-is-possible-disaster-a-man-must-gamble/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [I will go wherever the truth leads me. It is secular scholarship, Rebbe; it is not the scholarship of tradition. In secular scholarship there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-will-go-wherever-the-truth-leads-me-it-is-secular-scholarship-rebbe/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [… the world will indulge you just so long Asher Lev. Then it will stop. You will simply have to grow accustomed to that truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/the-world-will-indulge-you-just-so-long-asher-lev-then-it-will-stop/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate, that's the way the world is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/no-one-knows-he-is-fortunate-until-he-becomes-unfortunate-that-s-the/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) [Explore all 175 Chaim Potok quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) ## More Contribution quotes > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you've made some contribution to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johns/you-should-avoid-hedging-at-least-that-s-what-i-think-you-should-be/) Vernon Johns > [Effort is the one strictly undervalued and original contribution we make to this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/effort-is-the-one-strictly-undervalued-and-original-contribution-we/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [There is still zero empirical evidence that anthropogenic production of CO2 is making any measurable contribution to the world's present warming trend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-is-still-zero-empirical-evidence-that-anthropogenic-production/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [I have nothing but praise for the boy. He is easily the best player in the world. His contribution as a goal threat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ferguson/i-have-nothing-but-praise-for-the-boy-he-is-easily-the-best-player-in/) [Alex Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ferguson/) > [The way a culture treats women in birth is a good indicator of how well women and their contributions to society are valued and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-may-gaskin/the-way-a-culture-treats-women-in-birth-is-a-good-indicator-of-how/) [Ina May Gaskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-may-gaskin/) > [The excellence of this important contribution to genre literature CANNOT be overstated A masterwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-nolan/the-excellence-of-this-important-contribution-to-genre-literature/) William F. Nolan > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Fundamentally transforming the foundations of the economy is the biggest contribution we can make towards building a sustainable future. The current economic crisis may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-porritt/fundamentally-transforming-the-foundations-of-the-economy-is-the/) [Jonathon Porritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-porritt/) > [I think self-deprecation is such a disease, and I want to cure everybody of it and so that's my contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-self-deprecation-is-such-a-disease-and-i-want-to-cure/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [It is in the measure that special methods acknowledge their common core in transcendental method, that norms common to all the sciences will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lonergan/it-is-in-the-measure-that-special-methods-acknowledge-their-common/) [Bernard Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lonergan/) > [Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/chaperons-even-in-their-days-of-glory-were-almost-never-able-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Replace your pursuit of success with the pursuit of contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/replace-your-pursuit-of-success-with-the-pursuit-of-contribution/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [There is no art or science that is too difficult for industry to attain to; it is the gift of tongues, and makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/there-is-no-art-or-science-that-is-too-difficult-for-industry-to/) [Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Browse all 1,297 Contribution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a person has a contribution to make, he must make it in public. If learning is not made public, it is a waste.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chaim Potok" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-he-must-make-it-in-public-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contribution" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-he-must-make-it-in-public-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/chaim-potok-2254_contribution_if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-h_2314421.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/chaim-potok-2254_contribution_if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-h_2314421.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/chaim-potok-2254_contribution_if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-h_2314421.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If a person has a contribution to make, he must make it in public. If learning is not made public, it is a…” — Chaim Potok", "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": "Chaim Potok", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If a person has a contribution...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-he-must-make-it-in-public-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/if-a-person-has-a-contribution-to-make-he-must-make-it-in-public-if/#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 } } ] } ```