---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I should not want to live unless I could…"
description: "\"“I should not want to live unless I could live to do some good to others. ”\" — Ellen White"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/ellen-white-75664_quote_i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could_1550255.jpg"
---

#  I should not want to live unless I could live to do some…

![“I should not want to live unless I could live to do some good to others.” quote by Ellen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/ellen-white-75664_quote_i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could_1550255.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/ellen-white-75664_quote_i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could_1550255.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/ellen-white-75664_quote_i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could_1550255.jpg)

> ““I should not want to live unless I could live to do some good to others. ””

Ellen White

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Life gains purpose when directed toward helping others.

**In simple terms:** Live to help others.

Key Takeaway

Seek ways to serve and add value.

Themes

service purpose altruism

Mood

hopeful inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- volunteering
- career choice
- daily kindness

Key Concepts

ethics humanism spirituality

Questions to Reflect On

- Who can you help today?
- What purpose drives your actions?

A Different Perspective

Self‑interest can conflict with altruism.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“Why live unless you live large? Death is a reality, always present, waiting, with that in mind, live today, it is everything you own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-goodman/why-live-unless-you-live-large-death-is-a-reality-always-present/)

Jason Goodman

> [You can't live at all unless you can live fully now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/you-can-t-live-at-all-unless-you-can-live-fully-now/)

[Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/)

> [You're not hardcore, unless you live hardcore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-black/you-re-not-hardcore-unless-you-live-hardcore/)

[Jack Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-black/)

> [Youre not alive unless you live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul/youre-not-alive-unless-you-live/)

[Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul/)

> [Your not alive unless you live every day to the fullest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-not-alive-unless-you-live-every-day-to-the-fullest/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We can't change the world we live in unless we change ourselves the human being..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-engelbrecht/we-can-t-change-the-world-we-live-in-unless-we-change-ourselves-the/)

[Daniel Engelbrecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-engelbrecht/)

> [Stop trying to figure it all. Why worry about it all so much? Why not just live? And then you die. And then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/stop-trying-to-figure-it-all-why-worry-about-it-all-so-much-why-not/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [“In this totally dark world, you can't live unless you're needed by someone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/in-this-totally-dark-world-you-can-t-live-unless-you-re-needed-by/)

[Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/)

> [Today I have so much to do: I must kill memory once and for all, I must turn my soul to stone, I must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-akhmatova/today-i-have-so-much-to-do-i-must-kill-memory-once-and-for-all-i-must/)

[Anna Akhmatova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-akhmatova/)

> [This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/this-country-will-not-be-a-good-place-for-any-of-us-to-live-in-unless/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [We cannot be sure of having something to live for unless we are willing to die for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-cannot-be-sure-of-having-something-to-live-for-unless-we-are/)

[Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/)

> [You only live once! Unless you eat Broccoli and Cabbage and that...But we don't have time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-only-live-once-unless-you-eat-broccoli-and-cabbage-and-that-but/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You only live once. unless…you are reincarnated the what?yolt?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-salyers/you-only-live-once-unless-you-are-reincarnated-the-what-yolt/)

[Tyler Salyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-salyers/)

> [You cannot truly say you live well unless you eat well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigella-lawson/you-cannot-truly-say-you-live-well-unless-you-eat-well/)

[Nigella Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigella-lawson/)

> [''Live your life now in 20 years from now you will say I wish I did that.'' ''You can't live now unless you're fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/live-your-life-now-in-20-years-from-now-you-will-say-i-wish-i-did/)

[Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/)

## More by Ellen White

> [“Let us reject this decree. In matters of conscience the majority has no power."--Merle d'Aubigne, History of the Reformation, b. 13, ch. 5.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-white/let-us-reject-this-decree-in-matters-of-conscience-the-majority-has/)

Ellen White

> [“God does not require us to give up anything that it is for our best interest to retain. In all that He does he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-white/god-does-not-require-us-to-give-up-anything-that-it-is-for-our-best/)

Ellen White

Explore all 3 Ellen White quotes

## More Want quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/)

[Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/)

> [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [I want to be known as a good major-leaguer, and good major-leaguers work to become good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/i-want-to-be-known-as-a-good-major-leaguer-and-good-major-leaguers/)

[Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/)

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [I live life without limits and I will go after anything I want with no hesitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-morgan/i-live-life-without-limits-and-i-will-go-after-anything-i-want-with/)

[Liv Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-morgan/)

> [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/)

[Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/)

[Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/)

> [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

Browse all 86,049 Want quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I should not want to live unless I could live to do some good to others. ”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ellen White"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-white/i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could-live-to-do-some-good-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Want"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-white/i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could-live-to-do-some-good-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/ellen-white-75664_quote_i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could_1550255.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/ellen-white-75664_quote_i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could_1550255.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eca/ellen-white-75664_quote_i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could_1550255.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I should not want to live unless I could live to do some good to others.” — Ellen White",
                "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": "Ellen White",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-white/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I should not want to live...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-white/i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could-live-to-do-some-good-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-white/i-should-not-want-to-live-unless-i-could-live-to-do-some-good-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
