--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The purpose of work is to give people a…" description: "\"The purpose of work is to give people a chance to utilize and develop their faculties; to enable them to overcome their ego-centeredness by joining oth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/e-f-schumacher-8282_becoming_the-purpose-of-work-is-to-give-people-a_1262052.jpg" --- # The purpose of work is to give people a chance to utilize… ![“The purpose of work is to give people a chance to utilize and develop their faculties; to enable them to overcome their ego-centeredness by joining others in a common task; and to bring for the goods and services needed for a becoming existence.” quote by E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/e-f-schumacher-8282_becoming_the-purpose-of-work-is-to-give-people-a_1262052.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/e-f-schumacher-8282_becoming_the-purpose-of-work-is-to-give-people-a_1262052.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/e-f-schumacher-8282_becoming_the-purpose-of-work-is-to-give-people-a_1262052.jpg) > “The purpose of work is to give people a chance to utilize and develop their faculties; to enable them to overcome their ego-centeredness by joining others in a common task; and to bring for the goods and services needed for a becoming existence.” [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Work should develop human capacities, foster cooperation, and produce essential goods for a thriving society. **In simple terms:** Work builds skills and community. Key Takeaway Seek collaborative, purpose‑driven work. Themes work personal development community Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - team projects - skill training - social enterprises Key Concepts Human potential collaborative economics Questions to Reflect On - How does your job develop your faculties? - Do you feel your work serves a larger purpose? A Different Perspective Individualism can hinder collective benefit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Centeredness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centeredness/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Coaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaching/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [By far the most common task for which the machines are used is writing - or word processing, as it's known to the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-motherwell/by-far-the-most-common-task-for-which-the-machines-are-used-is/) [Robert Motherwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-motherwell/) > [The trivial round, the common task,Would furnish all we ought to ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keble/the-trivial-round-the-common-task-would-furnish-all-we-ought-to-ask/) [John Keble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keble/) > [Put the uncommon effort into the common task... make it large by doing it in a great way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/put-the-uncommon-effort-into-the-common-task-make-it-large-by-doing/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“What common task could I start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/what-common-task-could-i-start-doing-as-if-i-were-doing-it-directly/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“Humans are not machines, and some of their energy during the day will go into discussions or activities unrelated to the common task. Within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adair/humans-are-not-machines-and-some-of-their-energy-during-the-day-will/) [John Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adair/) > [Work may be your dominant thought, and joy an afterthought. But joy is your true purpose, and work the afterthought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/work-may-be-your-dominant-thought-and-joy-an-afterthought-but-joy-is/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [The purpose of work is not to make money. The purpose of work is to make the workers, whether working stiffs or top executives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-semler/the-purpose-of-work-is-not-to-make-money-the-purpose-of-work-is-to/) [Ricardo Semler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-semler/) > [When people look for and demand purpose in their work, it impacts businesses, communities, and the economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/when-people-look-for-and-demand-purpose-in-their-work-it-impacts/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [It would scarcely be acceptable, for example, to ask in the course of an ordinary conversation what our society holds to be the purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/it-would-scarcely-be-acceptable-for-example-to-ask-in-the-course-of/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [The central purpose of the Work that Reconnects is to help people uncover and experience their innate connections with each other and with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-macy/the-central-purpose-of-the-work-that-reconnects-is-to-help-people/) [Joanna Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-macy/) > [“The purpose of work is to labor and invest time in your gift”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-purpose-of-work-is-to-labor-and-invest-time-in-your-gift/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [We must always bear in mind that the primary purpose of our work, is not to get persons to join the church or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-torrey/we-must-always-bear-in-mind-that-the-primary-purpose-of-our-work-is/) [R. A. Torrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-torrey/) > [“it’s work with a purpose, work with meaning, work that constantly reminds you that you’re living the life you’ve dreamed of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-huling/it-s-work-with-a-purpose-work-with-meaning-work-that-constantly/) Jim Huling > [No matter what our job is, we view it not as our purpose in life but rather as where God has sovereignly placed us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/no-matter-what-our-job-is-we-view-it-not-as-our-purpose-in-life-but/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [The purpose of the whole (work) is to remove those who are living in this life from a state of wretchedness and lead them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/the-purpose-of-the-whole-work-is-to-remove-those-who-are-living-in/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) ## More by E. F. Schumacher > [Work and leisure are complementary parts of the same living process and cannot be separated without destroying the joy of work and the bliss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/work-and-leisure-are-complementary-parts-of-the-same-living-process/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Study how a society uses its land, and you can come to pretty reliable conclusions as to what its future will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/study-how-a-society-uses-its-land-and-you-can-come-to-pretty-reliable/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Without ... the creative imagination rushing in where bureaucratic angels fear to tread - without this, life is a mockery and a disgrace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/without-the-creative-imagination-rushing-in-where-bureaucratic-angels/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Why precisely do we want to change land ownership? The answer seems to me to be quite clear: to inhibit land speculation, to inhibit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/why-precisely-do-we-want-to-change-land-ownership-the-answer-seems-to/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Our task - and the task of all education - is to understand the present world, the world in which we live and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/our-task-and-the-task-of-all-education-is-to-understand-the-present/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Infinite growth of material consumption in a finite world is an impossibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/infinite-growth-of-material-consumption-in-a-finite-world-is-an/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Even bigger machines, entailing even bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever greater violence against the environment, do not represent progress: they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/even-bigger-machines-entailing-even-bigger-concentrations-of-economic/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The substance of man cannot be measured by Gross National Product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-substance-of-man-cannot-be-measured-by-gross-national-product/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [To describe an animal as a physico-chemical system of extreme complexityis no doubt perfectly correct, except that it misses out on the animalness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/to-describe-an-animal-as-a-physico-chemical-system-of-extreme/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Our task is to look at the world, and see it whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/our-task-is-to-look-at-the-world-and-see-it-whole/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The most striking about modern industry is that it requires so much and accomplishes so little. Modern industry seems to be inefficient to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-most-striking-about-modern-industry-is-that-it-requires-so-much/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The modern world tends to be skeptical about everything that makes demands on man's higher faculties. But it is not at all skeptical about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-modern-world-tends-to-be-skeptical-about-everything-that-makes/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Many people love in themselves what they hate in others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/many-people-love-in-themselves-what-they-hate-in-others/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [I cannot predict the wind but I can have my sail ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/i-cannot-predict-the-wind-but-i-can-have-my-sail-ready/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The technology of mass production is inherently violent, ecologically damaging, self-defeating in terms of non-renewable resources, and stultifying for the human person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-technology-of-mass-production-is-inherently-violent-ecologically/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) [Explore all 82 E. F. Schumacher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) ## More Becoming quotes > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/) [Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/) > [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/) Christopher Wood > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. 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