--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A rich life consists fundamentally of…" description: "\"A rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you found it.\" — Cornel West" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/cornel-west-708_better-than-you_a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-se_1741752.jpg" --- # A rich life consists fundamentally of serving others… ![“A rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you found it.” quote by Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/cornel-west-708_better-than-you_a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-se_1741752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/cornel-west-708_better-than-you_a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-se_1741752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/cornel-west-708_better-than-you_a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-se_1741752.jpg) > “A rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you found it.” [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A life of wealth is measured by service to others and improving the world. **In simple terms:** Richness is serving others. Key Takeaway Serve to enrich life. Themes philosophy ethics service Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - volunteering - community leadership - career choices Key Concepts altruism social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you serve daily? - What impact do you want to leave? A Different Perspective Service can be undervalued financially. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Rich life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-life/) [Serving others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving-others/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The country is in deep trouble. We've forgotten that a rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-country-is-in-deep-trouble-we-ve-forgotten-that-a-rich-life/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [If leadership is, fundamentally, about serving others, then any one person should be able to move between being a "leader" and a "follower."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/if-leadership-is-fundamentally-about-serving-others-then-any-one/) [James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/) > [You're trying to just leave the world a little better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-re-trying-to-just-leave-the-world-a-little-better/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [To leave the world a little better than you found it. That's the best a man can ever do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/to-leave-the-world-a-little-better-than-you-found-it-that-s-the-best/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“To forget the call on your life to express your best is to leave the world smaller than you find it today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sravani-saha-nakhro/to-forget-the-call-on-your-life-to-express-your-best-is-to-leave-the/) [Sravani Saha Nakhro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sravani-saha-nakhro/) > [Our job is to leave the world a little better than we found it. Not the same... not worse... better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-simmons/our-job-is-to-leave-the-world-a-little-better-than-we-found-it-not/) [Gene Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-simmons/) > [I care more about who people are as a person and being around good people because when you leave the world, you're not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-blanchard/i-care-more-about-who-people-are-as-a-person-and-being-around-good/) [Tessa Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-blanchard/) > [Come, follow me, and leave the world to its babblings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/come-follow-me-and-leave-the-world-to-its-babblings/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [“It is time for us to join the line of your madmen all chained together. Time to be totally free, and estranged. Time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalaluddin-rumi/it-is-time-for-us-to-join-the-line-of-your-madmen-all-chained/) [Jalaluddin Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalaluddin-rumi/) > [“if you don’t love well, be real, and try to leave the world better than it was when you found it, or there’s no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-hart/if-you-don-t-love-well-be-real-and-try-to-leave-the-world-better-than/) [Riley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riley-hart/) > [Influencers refuse to leave the world they way they found it. They leave a legacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/influencers-refuse-to-leave-the-world-they-way-they-found-it-they/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [“It’s not always about tomorrow and the day after that—what we achieve over the years and how we leave the world. Sometimes it’s about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-ryan/it-s-not-always-about-tomorrow-and-the-day-after-that-what-we-achieve/) [Carrie Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-ryan/) > [We enter the world alone, we leave the world alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/we-enter-the-world-alone-we-leave-the-world-alone/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [“If you sought to leave the world, don’t go alone. Since there are too many bad people you can take them too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-you-sought-to-leave-the-world-don-t-go-alone-since-there-are-too/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [It is our job to make a difference and leave the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karol-g/it-is-our-job-to-make-a-difference-and-leave-the-world-a-better-place/) [Karol G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karol-g/) ## More by Cornel West > [There has certainly been ugly, right-wing hatred targeting Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/there-has-certainly-been-ugly-right-wing-hatred-targeting-barack-obama/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I feel as if I have been blessed to undergo a transformation from 'gangster' to 'redeemed sinner with gangster proclivities.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-feel-as-if-i-have-been-blessed-to-undergo-a-transformation-from/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [“Like King, we need to put on our cemetery clothes and be coffin-ready for the next great democratic battle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/like-king-we-need-to-put-on-our-cemetery-clothes-and-be-coffin-ready/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [ “You can't really move forward until you look back. \[From Remaking America panel discussion at George Washington University\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-t-really-move-forward-until-you-look-back-from-remaking/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [When we think of globalization we are thinking in part of structures and institutions that have been developed over time and that have allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/when-we-think-of-globalization-we-are-thinking-in-part-of-structures/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The challenge artists face today is whether to be an underground, unheard genius, or to dilute their art for the marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-challenge-artists-face-today-is-whether-to-be-an-underground/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The need of black conservatives to gain the respect of their white peers deeply shapes certain elements of their conservatism. In this regard, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-need-of-black-conservatives-to-gain-the-respect-of-their-white/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [For me, musicians are poets. Beethoven describes himself as a poet of tones, just like Coltrane's a poet of tempo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/for-me-musicians-are-poets-beethoven-describes-himself-as-a-poet-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I don't draw any distinctions between forms of bigotry or forms of ideology that lose sight of the humanity of people. I can't stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-don-t-draw-any-distinctions-between-forms-of-bigotry-or-forms-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Barack Obama has domesticated the left in such a way that we feel as if we have no alternative but him...I refuse to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/barack-obama-has-domesticated-the-left-in-such-a-way-that-we-feel-as/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Larry Summers, I think, he had a long history of arrogance and relative ignorance about poor people's culture and working people's culture and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/larry-summers-i-think-he-had-a-long-history-of-arrogance-and-relative/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-someone-is-the-gift-of-inspiration/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [You can see it in terms of the obsession on Wall Street with not just profits but greed, more profit, more profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-see-it-in-terms-of-the-obsession-on-wall-street-with-not-just/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Anybody who takes Martin Luther King seriously has got to go beyond the standard understanding of who he was, has to connect those dots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/anybody-who-takes-martin-luther-king-seriously-has-got-to-go-beyond/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) [Explore all 400 Cornel West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## More Better than you quotes > [It is not too late. You are not too old. You are right on time-And you are better than you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-is-not-too-late-you-are-not-too-old-you-are-right-on-time-and-you/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The message of frustration is an exciting signal. it means that your brain beleives you could be doing better than you currently are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-message-of-frustration-is-an-exciting-signal-it-means-that-your/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Your brain is much better than you think; just use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/your-brain-is-much-better-than-you-think-just-use-it/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Today, Jesus stands ready to hear your cry and to answer prayer for you. He is interested in every detail of your life. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-kuhlman/today-jesus-stands-ready-to-hear-your-cry-and-to-answer-prayer-for/) [Kathryn Kuhlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-kuhlman/) > [Associate with those on your level, not the ones who bring you down a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/associate-with-those-on-your-level-not-the-ones-who-bring-you-down-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You just got to live your life not caring what they think, shake off the drama and prove to them your better than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-just-got-to-live-your-life-not-caring-what-they-think-shake-off/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always hire people who are better than you. Hiring dummies is shortsighted. You can't move up the ladder until everyone is comfortable with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-wyse/always-hire-people-who-are-better-than-you-hiring-dummies-is/) [Lois Wyse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-wyse/) > [I don't want to be better than you or her or him - I want to be better than I am right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerri-walsh/i-don-t-want-to-be-better-than-you-or-her-or-him-i-want-to-be-better/) [Kerri Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerri-walsh/) > [Your memory can make your life better. Starting from now you must change your awful life to the amazing so it can be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th/your-memory-can-make-your-life-better-starting-from-now-you-must/) @th > [Revenge? Nah I'm just gonna sit here and let karma fuck you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/revenge-nah-i-m-just-gonna-sit-here-and-let-karma-fuck-you-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What is courage? Let me tell you what I think it is. An indefinable quality that makes a man put out that extra something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-brooks/what-is-courage-let-me-tell-you-what-i-think-it-is-an-indefinable/) [Herb Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-brooks/) > [What do you care? You always liked loneliness better than you liked people. No offence liking yourself's the beginning of all love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/what-do-you-care-you-always-liked-loneliness-better-than-you-liked/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [Take others' jealousy as a positive sign, people will be jealous only when your life appears better to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/take-others-jealousy-as-a-positive-sign-people-will-be-jealous-only/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [O sir, you are old; nature in you stands on the very verge of her confine; you should be ruled and led by some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-sir-you-are-old-nature-in-you-stands-on-the-very-verge-of-her/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [They were a better football team than we were in every phase of the game tonight. I don't know what else to tell you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beatty/they-were-a-better-football-team-than-we-were-in-every-phase-of-the/) Bob Beatty Browse all 293 Better than you quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you found it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cornel West" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-serving-others-trying-to-leave/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better than you" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-serving-others-trying-to-leave/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/cornel-west-708_better-than-you_a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-se_1741752.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/cornel-west-708_better-than-you_a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-se_1741752.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/cornel-west-708_better-than-you_a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-se_1741752.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you…” — Cornel West", "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": "Cornel West", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A rich life consists fundamentally of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-serving-others-trying-to-leave/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/a-rich-life-consists-fundamentally-of-serving-others-trying-to-leave/#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 } } ] } ```