--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be unselfish. That is the first and final…" description: "\"Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for those who would be useful and happy in their usefulness. If you think of yourself only, you c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/charles-william-eliot-18707_choke_be-unselfish-that-is-the-first-and-final_1935612.jpg" --- # Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for… ![“Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for those who would be useful and happy in their usefulness. If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because you are choking the source of development, which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.” quote by Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/charles-william-eliot-18707_choke_be-unselfish-that-is-the-first-and-final_1935612.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/charles-william-eliot-18707_choke_be-unselfish-that-is-the-first-and-final_1935612.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/charles-william-eliot-18707_choke_be-unselfish-that-is-the-first-and-final_1935612.jpg) > “Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for those who would be useful and happy in their usefulness. If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because you are choking the source of development, which is spiritual expansion through thought for others.” [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Selflessness fuels personal growth and happiness by expanding spiritual development through helping others. **In simple terms:** Helping others leads to personal growth. Key Takeaway Prioritize others to grow. Themes selflessness purpose spiritual growth Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteer work - team projects - mentorship - community service Key Concepts altruism personal development Questions to Reflect On - How does serving others expand your own potential? - What habits can you adopt to think beyond yourself? A Different Perspective Self‑focus can limit development and cause stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choke/) [Commandment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment/) [Commandment Useful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment-useful-3054738/) [Development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development/) [Development Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development-spiritual-1870868/) [Expansion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expansion/) [Finals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finals/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Think Develop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-develop-3054740/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unselfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unselfish/) [Usefulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usefulness/) [Usefulness Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usefulness-think-3054739/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [I think what we can do is to develop this incredible computer that we have on our heads, because it's endless. 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Matthew 22:36-37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-jackson/128-matthew-22-36-37-love-the-lord-your-god-with-all-your-heart-and/) [Lois Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-jackson/) > [“The eleventh commandment of art: thou shalt not be boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-m-driscoll/the-eleventh-commandment-of-art-thou-shalt-not-be-boring/) [W.M. Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-m-driscoll/) > [The second commandment that Jesus referred to was not to love others instead of ourselves, but to love them as ourselves. Before we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-warner/the-second-commandment-that-jesus-referred-to-was-not-to-love-others/) [Jim Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-warner/) > [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? 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and more and more in the modern world, large business rests on rectitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/liberal-education-develops-a-sense-of-right-duty-and-honor-and-more/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) > [The strikebreaker is the hero of American industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-william-eliot/the-strikebreaker-is-the-hero-of-american-industry/) [Charles William Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) [Explore all 34 Charles William Eliot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-william-eliot/) ## More Choke quotes > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I’ve blamed her for all of this, for leaving, for ruining me. And maybe that was the seed of it, but from that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/i-ve-blamed-her-for-all-of-this-for-leaving-for-ruining-me-and-maybe/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) > [I didn’t realize I was crying until it was time to say the blinding words. ‘I do,’ I managed to choke out in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-didn-t-realize-i-was-crying-until-it-was-time-to-say-the-blinding/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [The thing that bothers me the most is the recklessness and greed of the local ranchers, who run too many cattle back here, choking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/the-thing-that-bothers-me-the-most-is-the-recklessness-and-greed-of/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [In Los Angeles, it's like they jog for two hours a day and then they think they're morally right. That's when you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/in-los-angeles-it-s-like-they-jog-for-two-hours-a-day-and-then-they/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [I have always been a big fan of Salman... whenever I see him or meet him, I choke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-shah/i-have-always-been-a-big-fan-of-salman-whenever-i-see-him-or-meet-him/) [Daisy Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-shah/) > [A tiny fly can choke a big man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ibn-gabirol/a-tiny-fly-can-choke-a-big-man/) [Solomon Ibn Gabirol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ibn-gabirol/) > [Sam, clinging to Frodo's arm, collapsed on a step in the black darkness. 'Poor old Bill!' he said in a choking voice. 'Poor old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sam-clinging-to-frodo-s-arm-collapsed-on-a-step-in-the-black-darkness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dont mistake my kindness for weakness.Ill choke you with the same hands I fed you off with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-ill-choke-you-with-the-same/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Blood fills my mouth. Fire sears my veins. I choke back a howl. The silver knife slips--the choice is mine. I am death or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-despain/blood-fills-my-mouth-fire-sears-my-veins-i-choke-back-a-howl-the/) [Bree Despain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-despain/) > [Well, that’s just a little hard, since I can’t even talk her into sparing your life, huh? You haven’t exactly endeared yourself to her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/well-that-s-just-a-little-hard-since-i-can-t-even-talk-her-into/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“I don't think we choked this time. We never played well enough to choke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-matthews/i-don-t-think-we-choked-this-time-we-never-played-well-enough-to-choke/) [Craig Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-matthews/) > [If someone grabbed me, I'd probably be able to choke them out in about eight seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-donovan/if-someone-grabbed-me-i-d-probably-be-able-to-choke-them-out-in-about/) [Jeffrey Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-donovan/) > [Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/praying-and-sinning-will-never-live-together-in-the-same-heart-prayer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 440 Choke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choke/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for those who would be useful and happy in their usefulness. 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