--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I learned, too, while I was groping for…" description: "\"“I learned, too, while I was groping for more and more effective ways of trying to cope with community and national and world problems, that you can ac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/eleanor-roosevelt-381_compassion_i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-mo_581811.jpg" --- # I learned, too, while I was groping for more and more… ![“I learned, too, while I was groping for more and more effective ways of trying to cope with community and national and world problems, that you can accomplish a great deal more if you care deeply about what is happening to other people than if you say in apathy or discouragement, “Oh, what can I…” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/eleanor-roosevelt-381_compassion_i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-mo_581811.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/eleanor-roosevelt-381_compassion_i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-mo_581811.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/eleanor-roosevelt-381_compassion_i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-mo_581811.jpg) > ““I learned, too, while I was groping for more and more effective ways of trying to cope with community and national and world problems, that you can accomplish a great deal more if you care deeply about what is happening to other people than if you say in apathy or discouragement, “Oh, what can I do? What use is one person? I might as well not bother.” Actually I suppose the caring comes from being able to put yourself in the position of the other person. If you cannot imagine, “This might happen to me,” you are able to say to yourself with indifference, “Who cares?” I think that one of the reasons it is so difficult for us, as a people, to understand other areas of the world is that we cannot put ourselves imaginatively in their place. We have no famine. But if we were actually to see people dying of starvation we would care quite”” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Caring deeply for others' suffering fuels effective action, whereas apathy limits impact. Empathy requires imagining oneself in others' situations. **In simple terms:** Empathy drives action; indifference hinders it. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy to act. Themes compassion empathy social responsibility global awareness Mood reflective motivational serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - humanitarian work - policy making - community volunteering - education programs - media storytelling Key Concepts Humanism psychology ethical motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice empathy for distant suffering? - What barriers prevent you from caring? A Different Perspective Empathy can be limited by personal privilege and lack of direct experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cares Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cares-think-319204/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Indifference Cares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference-cares-4781620/) [Say Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-indifference-4781622/) [Suppose Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppose-caring-4781621/) [World problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-problems/) ## Related quotes > [The American Dream can no more remain static than can the American nation… We cannot any longer take an old approach to world problems.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-american-dream-can-no-more-remain-static-than-can-the-american/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Who cares if your all I think about](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-hayes/who-cares-if-your-all-i-think-about/) [Hunter Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-hayes/) > [Who cares what others think its youre life be who you are and have fun!(:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destiney-nichole/who-cares-what-others-think-its-youre-life-be-who-you-are-and-have-fun/) [Destiney Nichole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destiney-nichole/) > [Who cares what others think of you! Its your life, not theirs... you must be very special if they think about you that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooklynn-clark/who-cares-what-others-think-of-you-its-your-life-not-theirs-you-must/) [Brooklynn Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooklynn-clark/) > [No one cares what you think they only think about what you got in your pants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justchill-d/no-one-cares-what-you-think-they-only-think-about-what-you-got-in/) [JUSTCHILL:D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justchill-d/) > [You are who you are and that's all you can be... look at the world and say this is me, take it or leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherry-forever/you-are-who-you-are-and-that-s-all-you-can-be-look-at-the-world-and/) [Cherry Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherry-forever/) > [“No one cares what you think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-hagadorn/no-one-cares-what-you-think/) [E.J. Hagadorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-hagadorn/) > [No one cares what I think about a 6-foot putt. They care what Ian Baker-Finch thinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/no-one-cares-what-i-think-about-a-6-foot-putt-they-care-what-ian/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [“Who cares what the others think? Fuck, brother, we’re all searching for what’s ours. I found mine in my little bird. Dive found his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lila-rose/who-cares-what-the-others-think-fuck-brother-we-re-all-searching-for/) [Lila Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lila-rose/) > [“Whenever I am worried about anything," said this guy Ben,"I like to think about China. China has a population of like two billion people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/whenever-i-am-worried-about-anything-said-this-guy-ben-i-like-to/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > [Sometimes I think the world has gone completely mad. And then I think, "Aw, who cares?" And then I think, "Hey, what's for supper?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-i-think-the-world-has-gone-completely-mad-and-then-i-think/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [If you feel like no one cares about you, think again. Look in the mirror, because the person you see, needs you more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/if-you-feel-like-no-one-cares-about-you-think-again-look-in-the/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Embarrassment has a lot to do with thinking too much. Let it go. Nobody cares as much as you think they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-robbins/embarrassment-has-a-lot-to-do-with-thinking-too-much-let-it-go-nobody/) [Ryan Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-robbins/) > [“I don’t think that God cares about what you think. It’s the actions that count. Actually He doesn’t care what you do as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-hochberg/i-don-t-think-that-god-cares-about-what-you-think-it-s-the-actions/) [Art Hochberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-hochberg/) > [“So what? who cares what others think? It's your life, not their's. So get up, get out, and live your life the way you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalista-miller/so-what-who-cares-what-others-think-it-s-your-life-not-their-s-so-get/) [Kalista Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalista-miller/) ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) [Segun Magbagbeola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segun-magbagbeola/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“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/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) [Talib al Habib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-al-habib/) > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I learned, too, while I was groping for more and more effective ways of trying to cope with community and national and world problems, that you can accomplish a great deal more if you care deeply about what is happening to other people than if you say in apathy or discouragement, “Oh, what can I do? What use is one person? I might as well not bother.” Actually I suppose the caring comes from being able to put yourself in the position of the other person. If you cannot imagine, “This might happen to me,” you are able to say to yourself with indifference, “Who cares?” I think that one of the reasons it is so difficult for us, as a people, to understand other areas of the world is that we cannot put ourselves imaginatively in their place. We have no famine. But if we were actually to see people dying of starvation we would care quite”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eleanor Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-more-and-more-effective-ways-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compassion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-more-and-more-effective-ways-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/eleanor-roosevelt-381_compassion_i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-mo_581811.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/eleanor-roosevelt-381_compassion_i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-mo_581811.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/eleanor-roosevelt-381_compassion_i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-mo_581811.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I learned, too, while I was groping for more and more effective ways of trying to cope with community and…” — Eleanor Roosevelt", "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": "Eleanor Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I learned, too, while I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-more-and-more-effective-ways-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-learned-too-while-i-was-groping-for-more-and-more-effective-ways-of/#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 } } ] } ```