--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you are laboring for others, let it…" description: "\"When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.\" — Confucius" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/confucius-164_zeal_when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it_1715219.jpg" --- # When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same… ![“When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.” quote by Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/confucius-164_zeal_when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it_1715219.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/confucius-164_zeal_when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it_1715219.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/confucius-164_zeal_when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it_1715219.jpg) > “When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.” [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Serving others with dedication is as important as serving oneself; true service requires equal commitment regardless of the beneficiary. **In simple terms:** Help others with the same effort as you would for yourself. Key Takeaway Treat all work as personal responsibility. Themes ethics service selflessness Mood inspirational ethical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteer work - team projects - community service - leadership roles Key Concepts confucianism virtue ethics social harmony Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to help others? - How can you balance self-care with service? A Different Perspective Self-interest can conflict with altruism, making equal zeal challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Zeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zeal/) ## Related quotes > [Let your zeal be tempered with wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-bansal/let-your-zeal-be-tempered-with-wisdom/) [Kishore Bansal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-bansal/) > [From inability to let well alone; from too much zeal for the new and contempt for what is old; from putting knowledge before wisdom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-robert-hutchison-1st-baronet/from-inability-to-let-well-alone-from-too-much-zeal-for-the-new-and/) Sir Robert Hutchison, 1st Baronet > [Never let your zeal outrun your charity. The former is but human, the latter is divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosea-ballou/never-let-your-zeal-outrun-your-charity-the-former-is-but-human-the/) [Hosea Ballou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosea-ballou/) > [Let anyone who has zeal for God come with me! Let us fight for our brothers! Let Heaven's will be done!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-iii-of-germany/let-anyone-who-has-zeal-for-god-come-with-me-let-us-fight-for-our/) Conrad III of Germany > [Let not your zeal to share your principles entice you beyond your borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/let-not-your-zeal-to-share-your-principles-entice-you-beyond-your/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [“Nearly every person you meet is aiming at a situation in which he will be exempted from the drudgery of laboring with his hands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-alcott/nearly-every-person-you-meet-is-aiming-at-a-situation-in-which-he/) William A. Alcott > [For about a year, I just didn't know what to do. I did laboring jobs, working in the docks, construction sites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/for-about-a-year-i-just-didn-t-know-what-to-do-i-did-laboring-jobs/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [Actually, the laboring man has not leisure for a true integrity day by day; he cannot afford to sustain the manliest relations tomen; his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/actually-the-laboring-man-has-not-leisure-for-a-true-integrity-day-by/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The laboring man has not leisure for a true integrity day by day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-laboring-man-has-not-leisure-for-a-true-integrity-day-by-day/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“If you are ready to make a difference and shine, then you must be ready to pay the price by laboring rightly with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/if-you-are-ready-to-make-a-difference-and-shine-then-you-must-be/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/most-men-even-in-this-comparatively-free-country-through-mere-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“But maybe it’s the laboring that gives you shape. Might the most fulfilling times be those spent solo at your tasks, literally immersed or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/but-maybe-it-s-the-laboring-that-gives-you-shape-might-the-most/) [Chang-rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Laboring men can perform for themselves the office of becoming their own employers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-stanford/laboring-men-can-perform-for-themselves-the-office-of-becoming-their/) [Leland Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-stanford/) > [Labor will hurt. Probably a lot. But whether this is negative is another matter... A laboring woman can be in a great deal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henci-goer/labor-will-hurt-probably-a-lot-but-whether-this-is-negative-is/) [Henci Goer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henci-goer/) > [The sleep of a laboring man is sweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/the-sleep-of-a-laboring-man-is-sweet/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) ## More by Confucius > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-is-distressed-by-his-want-lack-of-ability/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Better than the one who knows what is right is the one who loves what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/better-than-the-one-who-knows-what-is-right-is-the-one-who-loves-what/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/knowledge-is-merely-brilliance-in-organization-of-ideas-and-not/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [I live in a very small house, but my windows look out on a very large world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/i-live-in-a-very-small-house-but-my-windows-look-out-on-a-very-large/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-rule-a-country-of-a-thousand-chariots-there-must-be-reverent/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The real fault is to have faults and not amend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-real-fault-is-to-have-faults-and-not-amend-them/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-know-what-you-know-and-what-you-do-not-know-that-is-true-knowledge/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [A picture is poem without words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/a-picture-is-poem-without-words/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Heaven means to be one with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/heaven-means-to-be-one-with-god/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Does Heaven ever speak? The four seasons come and go, and all creatures thrive and grow. Does Heaven ever speak!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/does-heaven-ever-speak-the-four-seasons-come-and-go-and-all-creatures/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To study and at times practice what one has learned, is this not a pleasure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-study-and-at-times-practice-what-one-has-learned-is-this-not-a/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/recompense-injury-with-justice-and-recompense-kindness-with-kindness/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [There is only one thing in life which never changes, and it is change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/there-is-only-one-thing-in-life-which-never-changes-and-it-is-change/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) [Explore all 1,019 Confucius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## More Zeal quotes > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [In a delightful garden, sowing, planting or digging are not hardship but are done with a zeal and a certain pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/in-a-delightful-garden-sowing-planting-or-digging-are-not-hardship/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Have therefore zeal to better thyself and then mayst thou have zeal to thy neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/have-therefore-zeal-to-better-thyself-and-then-mayst-thou-have-zeal/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Female Virtues are of a Domestick turn. The Family is the proper Province for Private Women to Shine in. If they must be showing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/female-virtues-are-of-a-domestick-turn-the-family-is-the-proper/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/adults-look-upon-a-child-as-something-empty-that-is-to-be-filled/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Spiritual infirmities such as tepidity are caused, not only by chills but also by fevers, that is, by excessive zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/spiritual-infirmities-such-as-tepidity-are-caused-not-only-by-chills/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The successful conduct of an industrial enterprise requires two quite distinct qualifications: fidelity and zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-successful-conduct-of-an-industrial-enterprise-requires-two-quite/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The saints are sinners still. Our best tears need to be wept over, the strongest faith is mixed with unbelief, our most flaming love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-saints-are-sinners-still-our-best-tears-need-to-be-wept-over-the/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Let a good person do good deeds with the same zeal that an evil person does bad ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sholom-rokeach/let-a-good-person-do-good-deeds-with-the-same-zeal-that-an-evil/) Sholom Rokeach > [Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/do-all-the-good-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you-can-to-all-the-souls-you/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/zeal-the-blind-conductor-of-the-will/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [If we have no zeal for the glory of God our mercy must be superficial, man-centred human improvement with no eternal significance. And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/if-we-have-no-zeal-for-the-glory-of-god-our-mercy-must-be-superficial/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Now that I have written many words, and let out so many loves, for so many, and been altogether what I always was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/now-that-i-have-written-many-words-and-let-out-so-many-loves-for-so/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [Moral crusaders with zeal but no ethical understanding are likely to give us solutions that are worse than the problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/moral-crusaders-with-zeal-but-no-ethical-understanding-are-likely-to/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [Through zeal, knowledge is gotten, through lack of zeal, knowledge is lost; let a man who knows this double path of gain and loss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/through-zeal-knowledge-is-gotten-through-lack-of-zeal-knowledge-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 415 Zeal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zeal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Confucius" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it-be-with-the-same-zeal-as-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Zeal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it-be-with-the-same-zeal-as-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/confucius-164_zeal_when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it_1715219.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/confucius-164_zeal_when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it_1715219.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c88/confucius-164_zeal_when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it_1715219.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.” — Confucius", "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": "Confucius", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you are laboring for others,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it-be-with-the-same-zeal-as-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/when-you-are-laboring-for-others-let-it-be-with-the-same-zeal-as-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 } } ] } ```