--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is, in fact, a paradox about…" description: "\"There is, in fact, a paradox about working to serve the community, and it is this: that to aim directly at serving the community is to falsify the work..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/dorothy-l-sayers-738_aim_there-is-in-fact-a-paradox-about-working_1656359.jpg" --- # There is, in fact, a paradox about working to serve the… ![“There is, in fact, a paradox about working to serve the community, and it is this: that to aim directly at serving the community is to falsify the work; the only way to serve the community is to forget the community and serve the work.” quote by Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/dorothy-l-sayers-738_aim_there-is-in-fact-a-paradox-about-working_1656359.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/dorothy-l-sayers-738_aim_there-is-in-fact-a-paradox-about-working_1656359.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/dorothy-l-sayers-738_aim_there-is-in-fact-a-paradox-about-working_1656359.jpg) > “There is, in fact, a paradox about working to serve the community, and it is this: that to aim directly at serving the community is to falsify the work; the only way to serve the community is to forget the community and serve the work.” [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trying to directly serve a community can corrupt the effort; true service comes from focusing on the work itself, not the audience. **In simple terms:** Serve the work, not the community, to truly help. Key Takeaway Prioritize quality of work. Themes service integrity focus Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - project management - volunteering - public service - nonprofit work Key Concepts ethics organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance community awareness with work focus? - What signs show your work is serving the community indirectly? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on community may neglect specific needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [Serving the community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving-the-community/) [Vocation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocation/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I've always had a passion for giving back. It's a family tradition that comes from my devout parents. They were always giving back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dikembe-mutombo/i-ve-always-had-a-passion-for-giving-back-it-s-a-family-tradition/) [Dikembe Mutombo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dikembe-mutombo/) > [Serving the community, I guess it was implanted in me and it's now part of my DNA. As an immigrant, my mother used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-kim/serving-the-community-i-guess-it-was-implanted-in-me-and-it-s-now/) [Young Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-kim/) > [I'm a big believer in serving the community, giving back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sony-michel/i-m-a-big-believer-in-serving-the-community-giving-back/) [Sony Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sony-michel/) > [If you love friends, you will serve your friends. If you love community, you will serve your community. If you love money, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/if-you-love-friends-you-will-serve-your-friends-if-you-love-community/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Balanced service is a virtue to be cherished. There is to be time in our life to serve God, to serve our family, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/balanced-service-is-a-virtue-to-be-cherished-there-is-to-be-time-in/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [What I see with the utility industry is, more and more, we're taking up this belief that our workforce, our leadership ranks, our board…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geisha-williams/what-i-see-with-the-utility-industry-is-more-and-more-we-re-taking-up/) [Geisha Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geisha-williams/) > [You cannot possibly be reaching the needs of your consumers when the makeup of your company is not reflective of the community you serve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/you-cannot-possibly-be-reaching-the-needs-of-your-consumers-when-the/) [Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/) > [I will suggest that the great aim of our education is to bring out of the child who comes into our hands every faculty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/i-will-suggest-that-the-great-aim-of-our-education-is-to-bring-out-of/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [The Peace Corps is an outstanding organization that promotes peace through helping countless individuals who want to help build a better life for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/the-peace-corps-is-an-outstanding-organization-that-promotes-peace/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [Boston taught me at a young age that a supportive community is the greatest blessing, and serving that community is both a responsibility and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-walsh/boston-taught-me-at-a-young-age-that-a-supportive-community-is-the/) [Marty Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-walsh/) > [Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/everybody-can-be-great-because-anybody-can-serve-you-don-t-have-to/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [One of my most memorable moments serving the community was after I built the Live Civil Playground in Haiti, and I visited an orphanage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-civil/one-of-my-most-memorable-moments-serving-the-community-was-after-i/) [Karen Civil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-civil/) > [Genuine politics -- even politics worthy of the name -- the only politics I am willing to devote myself to -- is simply a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/genuine-politics-even-politics-worthy-of-the-name-the-only-politics-i/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [ Our German language has a word which in a magnificent way denotes conduct based on this spirit: doing one's duty \[Pflichterfüllung\]-which means serving the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/our-german-language-has-a-word-which-in-a-magnificent-way-denotes/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [What we saw was that the Ferguson Police Department in conjunction with the municipality saw traffic stops, arrests, tickets as a revenue generator, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-saw-was-that-the-ferguson-police-department-in-conjunction/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Dorothy L. Sayers > [“The really essential factors of success in any undertaking are money and opportunity, and as a rule, the man who can make the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-really-essential-factors-of-success-in-any-undertaking-are-money/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [The trouble is. . .that everybody sneers at restrictions and demands freedom, till something annoying happens; then they demand angrily what has become of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-trouble-is-that-everybody-sneers-at-restrictions-and-demands/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“ Peter! Were you looking for a horse-shoe?" "No; I was expecting the horse, but the shoe is a piece of pure, gorgeous luck."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/peter-were-you-looking-for-a-horse-shoe-no-i-was-expecting-the-horse/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ “See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. \[That\] the fundamental treason to the mind ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/see-that-the-mind-is-honest-first-the-rest-may-follow-or-not-as-god/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [But it is the mark of all movements, however well-intentioned, that their pioneers tend, by much lashing of themselves into excitement, to lose sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/but-it-is-the-mark-of-all-movements-however-well-intentioned-that/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [One must not only die daily, but every day we must be born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/one-must-not-only-die-daily-but-every-day-we-must-be-born-again/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“By teaching them all to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed word. By the invention of the film and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/by-teaching-them-all-to-read-we-have-left-them-at-the-mercy-of-the/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ Perhaps \[the critics are right and\] the drama is played out now and Jesus is safely dead and buried. Perhaps. It is ironical and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/perhaps-the-critics-are-right-and-the-drama-is-played-out-now-and/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [... at no point have I yet found artistic truth and theological truth at variance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/at-no-point-have-i-yet-found-artistic-truth-and-theological-truth-at/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I have never yet heard any middle-aged man or woman who worked with his or her brains express any regret for the passing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/i-have-never-yet-heard-any-middle-aged-man-or-woman-who-worked-with/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“That was the second time within five minutes that he had warned her off his private ground. His mood had changed since the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/that-was-the-second-time-within-five-minutes-that-he-had-warned-her/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“To obey orders in this family has been my privilege for the last twenty years--a privilege which has been an unqualified pleasure, except perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/to-obey-orders-in-this-family-has-been-my-privilege-for-the-last/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Those who make some other person their job... are dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/those-who-make-some-other-person-their-job-are-dangerous/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“Yes, and look at the corpses. Place always reminds me of that old thing in Punch, you know—‘Waiter, take away Lord Whatsisname, he’s been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/yes-and-look-at-the-corpses-place-always-reminds-me-of-that-old-thing/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) [Explore all 386 Dorothy L. Sayers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## More Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/) [Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. 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