--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If men will not act for themselves, what…" description: "\"If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all?\" — Elbert Hubbard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/elbert-hubbard-510_benefit_if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what_881031.png" --- # If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when… ![“If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all?” quote by Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/elbert-hubbard-510_benefit_if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what_881031.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/elbert-hubbard-510_benefit_if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what_881031.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/elbert-hubbard-510_benefit_if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what_881031.png) > “If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all?” [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages personal responsibility; collective benefit depends on individual action. **In simple terms:** Act for yourself to help everyone. Key Takeaway Take responsibility now. Themes responsibility collective good action ethics Mood reflective motivational Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - community projects - volunteer work - political activism Key Concepts civic duty social contract Questions to Reflect On - What personal actions can you take for community benefit? - How do you balance self-interest with collective good? A Different Perspective Individual effort may be limited by systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Act Benefit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act-benefit-1051956/) [Benefit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit/) [Benefit Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit-effort-1051955/) [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [The wise way to benefit humanity is to attend to your own affairs, and thus give other people an opportunity to look after theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-wise-way-to-benefit-humanity-is-to-attend-to-your-own-affairs-and/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Technology has the benefit of being easily scalable. A few weeks or months of coding can result in solutions that reap huge benefits. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-amos/technology-has-the-benefit-of-being-easily-scalable-a-few-weeks-or/) [Shawn Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-amos/) > [A benefit consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/a-benefit-consists-not-in-what-is-done-or-given-but-in-the-intention/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The test of civilization is the power of drawing the most benefit out of cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-test-of-civilization-is-the-power-of-drawing-the-most-benefit-out/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If you see long term benefit in doing something, but short term pain then you should do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/if-you-see-long-term-benefit-in-doing-something-but-short-term-pain/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [I've learned the hard way how valuable privacy is. And I've learned that there are a lot of things in your life that really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/i-ve-learned-the-hard-way-how-valuable-privacy-is-and-i-ve-learned/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [I wasn't the typical pageant girl - I was a little more nerdy, and they gave me a voice. I created the Queen of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-giraud/i-wasn-t-the-typical-pageant-girl-i-was-a-little-more-nerdy-and-they/) [Joyce Giraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-giraud/) > [A side benefit of the new and developing technologies is that soon we won't have to feel guilty about the suffering and denigration of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-williams/a-side-benefit-of-the-new-and-developing-technologies-is-that-soon-we/) [Joy Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-williams/) > [To use for our exclusive benefit what is not ours is theft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/to-use-for-our-exclusive-benefit-what-is-not-ours-is-theft/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [Dance keeps me fit! It's been a huge benefit in my life and it will forever be a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-holker/dance-keeps-me-fit-it-s-been-a-huge-benefit-in-my-life-and-it-will/) [Allison Holker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-holker/) > [The benefit to building a startup is that customers don't have the same kind of friction when they adopt new technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-levie/the-benefit-to-building-a-startup-is-that-customers-don-t-have-the/) [Aaron Levie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-levie/) > [For us, my wife and I and all of my partners believe that corporations have to be corporate citizens, and individuals who benefit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walter/for-us-my-wife-and-i-and-all-of-my-partners-believe-that-corporations/) [Mark Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walter/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [The benefit of living in a free society is that we all have the choice to be rich, poor, or middle class. The decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-benefit-of-living-in-a-free-society-is-that-we-all-have-the/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [It's not always to the benefit of the story to have it so preordained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-woodrell/it-s-not-always-to-the-benefit-of-the-story-to-have-it-so-preordained/) [Daniel Woodrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-woodrell/) ## More by Elbert Hubbard > [The teacher is one who makes two ideas grow where only one grew before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-teacher-is-one-who-makes-two-ideas-grow-where-only-one-grew-before/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The highest reward that God gives us for good work is the ability to do better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-highest-reward-that-god-gives-us-for-good-work-is-the-ability-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Art is nothing; it's a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/art-is-nothing-it-s-a-way/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Library: A place where the dead lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/library-a-place-where-the-dead-lie/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The poor and ignorant will continue to lie and steal as long as the rich and educated show them how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-poor-and-ignorant-will-continue-to-lie-and-steal-as-long-as-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private individuals will occasionally kill theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/so-long-as-governments-set-the-example-of-killing-their-enemies/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [If I supply you with a thought, you may remember it and you may not. But if I can make you think a thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-i-supply-you-with-a-thought-you-may-remember-it-and-you-may-not/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 A conservative is a man who is too cowardly to fight and too fat to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/1-2-3-4-5-a-conservative-is-a-man-who-is-too-cowardly-to-fight-and/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The great man is not so great as folks think, and the dull man is not quite so stupid as he seems. The difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-great-man-is-not-so-great-as-folks-think-and-the-dull-man-is-not/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Every knock is a boost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/every-knock-is-a-boost/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [What boy well raised can compare with your street gamin who has the knowledge and the shrewdness of a grown-up broker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/what-boy-well-raised-can-compare-with-your-street-gamin-who-has-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Don't make excuses, make good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/don-t-make-excuses-make-good/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [What people need and what they want may be very different… Teachers are those who educate the people to appreciate the things they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/what-people-need-and-what-they-want-may-be-very-different-teachers/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Men who sit back and pride themselves on their culture haven't any to speak of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/men-who-sit-back-and-pride-themselves-on-their-culture-haven-t-any-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) [Explore all 506 Elbert Hubbard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) ## More Benefit quotes > [Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization. I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [It's not always to the benefit of the story to have it so preordained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-woodrell/it-s-not-always-to-the-benefit-of-the-story-to-have-it-so-preordained/) [Daniel Woodrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-woodrell/) > [I'm less concerned about whether being a good corporate citizen burnishes a company's reputation. That's just an added benefit. I believe it's a responsibility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/i-m-less-concerned-about-whether-being-a-good-corporate-citizen/) [Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/) > [The benefit of living in a free society is that we all have the choice to be rich, poor, or middle class. The decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-benefit-of-living-in-a-free-society-is-that-we-all-have-the/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [For us, my wife and I and all of my partners believe that corporations have to be corporate citizens, and individuals who benefit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walter/for-us-my-wife-and-i-and-all-of-my-partners-believe-that-corporations/) [Mark Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walter/) > [The benefit to building a startup is that customers don't have the same kind of friction when they adopt new technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-levie/the-benefit-to-building-a-startup-is-that-customers-don-t-have-the/) [Aaron Levie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-levie/) > [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing is so good that impious and sacrilegious and wicked people cannot contort its proper benefit into evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giordano-bruno/nothing-is-so-good-that-impious-and-sacrilegious-and-wicked-people/) [Giordano Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giordano-bruno/) > [“Everything I think I’m doing for my own benefit has some incidental evolutionary advantage!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-hamantaschen/everything-i-think-i-m-doing-for-my-own-benefit-has-some-incidental/) [J.R. Hamantaschen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-hamantaschen/) > [The true principle of taxation is the benefit principle - those who benefit from a government service should pay for it. It's also known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/the-true-principle-of-taxation-is-the-benefit-principle-those-who/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) > [Dance keeps me fit! It's been a huge benefit in my life and it will forever be a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-holker/dance-keeps-me-fit-it-s-been-a-huge-benefit-in-my-life-and-it-will/) [Allison Holker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-holker/) > [Many people do not realize that where unions have bargaining rights employers cannot raise wages or improve benefit plans any more than they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-e-wilson/many-people-do-not-realize-that-where-unions-have-bargaining-rights/) [Charles E. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-e-wilson/) > [To use for our exclusive benefit what is not ours is theft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/to-use-for-our-exclusive-benefit-what-is-not-ours-is-theft/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [There is almost no topic that can't benefit from being talked about in a humorous way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-parris/there-is-almost-no-topic-that-can-t-benefit-from-being-talked-about/) [Rachel Parris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-parris/) [Browse all 533 Benefit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elbert Hubbard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what-will-they-do-when-the-benefit/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Benefit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what-will-they-do-when-the-benefit/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/elbert-hubbard-510_benefit_if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what_881031.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/elbert-hubbard-510_benefit_if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what_881031.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/elbert-hubbard-510_benefit_if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what_881031.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all?” — Elbert Hubbard", "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": "Elbert Hubbard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If men will not act for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what-will-they-do-when-the-benefit/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-men-will-not-act-for-themselves-what-will-they-do-when-the-benefit/#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 } } ] } ```