--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's like...I can throw away my whole…" description: "\"“It's like...I can throw away my whole life trying to help somebody else, but i can only do something for me if I know it doesn't matter.”\" — Dan Wells" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/dan-wells-2142_helping-people_it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life_569342.jpg" --- # It's like...I can throw away my whole life trying to help… ![“It's like...I can throw away my whole life trying to help somebody else, but i can only do something for me if I know it doesn't matter.” quote by Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/dan-wells-2142_helping-people_it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life_569342.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/dan-wells-2142_helping-people_it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life_569342.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/dan-wells-2142_helping-people_it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life_569342.jpg) > ““It's like...I can throw away my whole life trying to help somebody else, but i can only do something for me if I know it doesn't matter.”” [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects the tension between self‑sacrifice for others and the realization that personal effort may feel insignificant without meaning. **In simple terms:** Helping others can feel pointless if you think it doesn't matter. Key Takeaway Recognize personal limits and seek purposeful actions. Themes self‑sacrifice meaning personal boundaries Mood reflective conflicted Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - caregiving - career choices - personal projects - mental health Key Concepts existentialism altruism self‑care Questions to Reflect On - Do you measure your actions by impact or intention? - How can you find meaning in small acts? A Different Perspective It may overlook the intrinsic value of kindness regardless of outcome. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Helping people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping-people/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Unselfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unselfishness/) ## Related quotes > [There is no use whatsoever in trying to help people who do not help themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/there-is-no-use-whatsoever-in-trying-to-help-people-who-do-not-help/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [I really feel great when I help somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/i-really-feel-great-when-i-help-somebody/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [“I can’t do nothing for you either, Billy. You know that. None of us can. You got to understand that as soon as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/i-can-t-do-nothing-for-you-either-billy-you-know-that-none-of-us-can/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [You can open the doors of blessings unto your Life when you help somebody to open one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/you-can-open-the-doors-of-blessings-unto-your-life-when-you-help/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [We have a lot of fear around death, and I thought maybe I can help somebody... I want people to be less scared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-harper/we-have-a-lot-of-fear-around-death-and-i-thought-maybe-i-can-help/) [Valerie Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-harper/) > [If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-i-can-help-somebody-as-i-pass-along-if-i-can-cheer-somebody-with-a/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Lay hold of something that will help you, and then use it to help somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/lay-hold-of-something-that-will-help-you-and-then-use-it-to-help/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [I'm not the biggest star in the world, but I do have a platform, and if I can use that platform to help somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hill-harper/i-m-not-the-biggest-star-in-the-world-but-i-do-have-a-platform-and-if/) [Hill Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hill-harper/) > [“4. Help somebody (like your mom or dad or teacher) without being asked. Now that’s a nice surprise!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-g-birney/4-help-somebody-like-your-mom-or-dad-or-teacher-without-being-asked/) Betty G. Birney > [You could only try your hardest to help somebody.. but it always comes down to their own mind to tell them what to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trilla/you-could-only-try-your-hardest-to-help-somebody-but-it-always-comes/) [Trilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trilla/) > [Being successful doesn’t necessarily make you great. What makes you great is when you reach back and help somebody else become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/being-successful-doesn-t-necessarily-make-you-great-what-makes-you/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [The reality is that fulfillment, success and all of these good things comes from trying to help those that we care about to achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/the-reality-is-that-fulfillment-success-and-all-of-these-good-things/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [I think that if you want help from somebody, you ask. You ask not expecting anyone to give it to you, unless it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-benincasa/i-think-that-if-you-want-help-from-somebody-you-ask-you-ask-not/) [Sara Benincasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-benincasa/) > [There isn't anyone who can't serve ... nobody who can't help somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-isn-t-anyone-who-can-t-serve-nobody-who-can-t-help-somebody-else/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I feel like it's almost my purpose to speak up about my experience so it could help somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/normani-hamilton/i-feel-like-it-s-almost-my-purpose-to-speak-up-about-my-experience-so/) Normani Hamilton ## More by Dan Wells > [“I’ve picked a side,” she said darkly. “And everyone’s on it. And that’s exactly who I’m going to save.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/i-ve-picked-a-side-she-said-darkly-and-everyone-s-on-it-and-that-s/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“I had called Brooke 'it'. That was stupid. That was...horrifying. I was better than that... ...Calling human beings 'it' was a common trait of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/i-had-called-brooke-it-that-was-stupid-that-was-horrifying-i-was/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“You're talking to me and I'm not scary." Said Kira. "Yes you are!" said Afa.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/you-re-talking-to-me-and-i-m-not-scary-said-kira-yes-you-are-said-afa/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“Curing RM is in the realm of magical pixies and talking dogs that piss whiskey. It's impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/curing-rm-is-in-the-realm-of-magical-pixies-and-talking-dogs-that/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“She thought no one could see her. I thought she was beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/she-thought-no-one-could-see-her-i-thought-she-was-beautiful/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [Facts are too busy being true to worry about how you feel about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/facts-are-too-busy-being-true-to-worry-about-how-you-feel-about-them/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [My wit is like your legs," said Xochi. " It would be selfish of me to keep it hidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/my-wit-is-like-your-legs-said-xochi-it-would-be-selfish-of-me-to-keep/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“If you can’t know the truth,” said Isolde, “live the most awesome lie you can think of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/if-you-can-t-know-the-truth-said-isolde-live-the-most-awesome-lie-you/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“Skousen remembered a world falling apart. Kira remembered a world pulling together to save itself. That was the difference. That was why Skousen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/skousen-remembered-a-world-falling-apart-kira-remembered-a-world/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“Finally Marcus stepped forward. "If you insist on going through me to get him, it's your call. But I warn you, I will probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/finally-marcus-stepped-forward-if-you-insist-on-going-through-me-to/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [Fear is a ... it's a weird thing, when you think about it. People are only afraid of other things, they're never afraid of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/fear-is-a-it-s-a-weird-thing-when-you-think-about-it-people-are-only/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“We're taking you to the hospital,' it said, 'you're going into shock. Can you tell us how you feel?' 'I feel ...' What do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/we-re-taking-you-to-the-hospital-it-said-you-re-going-into-shock-can/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [I stared at her closely, studying her face, her eyes, everything. This was the angel that tamed a demon; the soul that trapped him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/i-stared-at-her-closely-studying-her-face-her-eyes-everything-this/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [“So, your plan is to murder a superior enemy army," said Tovar, "and then outrun the wind. I'm glad it's so simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/so-your-plan-is-to-murder-a-superior-enemy-army-said-tovar-and-then/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [Love's not the point. We just do what we always do, and we get by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/love-s-not-the-point-we-just-do-what-we-always-do-and-we-get-by/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) [Explore all 175 Dan Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) ## More Helping people quotes > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“When a bad experience shakes your faith in humanity, hold those depressing thoughts and ask yourself. 1. How many things in life have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani/when-a-bad-experience-shakes-your-faith-in-humanity-hold-those/) [Drishti Bablani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani/) > [I would never want to take TOMS or myself into an issues debate. That's not what we're about. We're about helping people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-mycoskie/i-would-never-want-to-take-toms-or-myself-into-an-issues-debate-that/) [Blake Mycoskie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-mycoskie/) > [We have a visceral reaction to the idea that anyone would make very much money helping other people. Interesting that we don't have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pallotta/we-have-a-visceral-reaction-to-the-idea-that-anyone-would-make-very/) [Dan Pallotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pallotta/) > [I never thought in terms of being a leader. I thought very simply in terms of helping people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hume/i-never-thought-in-terms-of-being-a-leader-i-thought-very-simply-in/) [John Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hume/) > [More than half of all the hip hop record sales are white people, and I think that might be a result of my record…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanilla-ice/more-than-half-of-all-the-hip-hop-record-sales-are-white-people-and-i/) [Vanilla Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanilla-ice/) > [Everything I've ever thought about doing has been, in some sense, about helping people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacinda-ardern/everything-i-ve-ever-thought-about-doing-has-been-in-some-sense-about/) [Jacinda Ardern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacinda-ardern/) > [I sometimes wonder whether our churches--living as we do in American death-denying culture, relentlessly smiling through our praise choruses--are inadvertently helping people live not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-galli/i-sometimes-wonder-whether-our-churches-living-as-we-do-in-american/) [Mark Galli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-galli/) > [“Strategic Commonality “Social media has capitalized on helping people find others who share their similar interests, shared experiences, and common passions. With social media,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/strategic-commonality-social-media-has-capitalized-on-helping-people/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [I've always been very good at helping other people finish their songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-ve-always-been-very-good-at-helping-other-people-finish-their-songs/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [There is power in helping people get excited about what they do and inspiring and motivating them to unleash their full potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/there-is-power-in-helping-people-get-excited-about-what-they-do-and/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“If you cannot stretch out a helping hand for the needy, bless them by folding your hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pawan-pandit/if-you-cannot-stretch-out-a-helping-hand-for-the-needy-bless-them-by/) Pawan Pandit > [Honesty is about the scars. It's about the blemishes. But it's more than just bragging about failure, which could be a form of ego.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/honesty-is-about-the-scars-it-s-about-the-blemishes-but-it-s-more/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [I like helping people with there problems, but I can't even help myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-helping-people-with-there-problems-but-i-can-t-even-help-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you love helping people, and you love trying to bring comfort and peace to their life at a very, very difficult time, youre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-southerland/if-you-love-helping-people-and-you-love-trying-to-bring-comfort-and/) [Steve Southerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-southerland/) [Browse all 510 Helping people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's like...I can throw away my whole life trying to help somebody else, but i can only do something for me if I know it doesn't matter.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Wells" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life-trying-to-help-somebody-else/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Helping people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life-trying-to-help-somebody-else/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/dan-wells-2142_helping-people_it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life_569342.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/dan-wells-2142_helping-people_it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life_569342.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d0/dan-wells-2142_helping-people_it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life_569342.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's like...I can throw away my whole life trying to help somebody else, but i can only do something for me…” — Dan Wells", "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": "Dan Wells", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It's like...I can throw away my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life-trying-to-help-somebody-else/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/it-s-like-i-can-throw-away-my-whole-life-trying-to-help-somebody-else/#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 } } ] } ```