--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The burning conviction that we have a…" description: "\"The burning conviction that we have a holy duty towards others is often a way of attaching our drowning selves to a passing raft. What looks like a giv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/eric-hoffer-343_boundless_the-burning-conviction-that-we-have-a-ho_2180881.jpg" --- # The burning conviction that we have a holy duty towards… ![“The burning conviction that we have a holy duty towards others is often a way of attaching our drowning selves to a passing raft. What looks like a giving hand is often a holding on for dear life. Take away our holy duties and you leave our lives puny and meaningless. There is no doubt that in…” quote by Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/eric-hoffer-343_boundless_the-burning-conviction-that-we-have-a-ho_2180881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/eric-hoffer-343_boundless_the-burning-conviction-that-we-have-a-ho_2180881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/eric-hoffer-343_boundless_the-burning-conviction-that-we-have-a-ho_2180881.jpg) > “The burning conviction that we have a holy duty towards others is often a way of attaching our drowning selves to a passing raft. What looks like a giving hand is often a holding on for dear life. Take away our holy duties and you leave our lives puny and meaningless. There is no doubt that in exchanging a self-centered for a selfless life we gain enormously in self-esteem. The vanity of the selfless, even those who practice utmost humility, is boundless.” [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often mask selfish survival instincts as moral duty, turning altruism into a lifeline for our own insecurities. **In simple terms:** Helping others can hide our own need for purpose. Key Takeaway Recognize genuine compassion versus self‑serving duty. Themes altruism self‑identity vanity meaning Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - volunteering - leadership - counseling - personal growth - community service Key Concepts existentialism psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - Do you help out of love or fear of emptiness? - How can you ensure your aid is authentic? A Different Perspective Self‑interest can undermine true generosity; motives may be mixed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boundless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundless/) [Burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burning/) [Centered Selfless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centered-selfless-4710197/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Dear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear/) [Dear life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear-life/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Drowning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drowning/) [Drowning Selves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drowning-selves-3245480/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem/) [Exchanging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchanging/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Holding on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding-on/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Meaningless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningless/) [No doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-doubt/) [Our lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lives/) [Passing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passing/) [Passings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passings/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self centered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-centered/) [Self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-esteem/) [Selfless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfless/) [Selfless Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfless-life-4710198/) [Selfless Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfless-practice-2223725/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [There is no doubt that in exchanging a self-centered for a selfless life we gain enormously in self-esteem. The vanity of the selfless, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-is-no-doubt-that-in-exchanging-a-self-centered-for-a-selfless/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The burning conviction that we have a holy duty toward others is often a way of attaching our drowning selves to a passing raft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-burning-conviction-that-we-have-a-holy-duty-toward-others-is/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“We should be selfless in our practice as believers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/we-should-be-selfless-in-our-practice-as-believers/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I want to know whether you are a person devoted to creating or to exchanging in some respect or other: as a creator you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-want-to-know-whether-you-are-a-person-devoted-to-creating-or-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Libraries are not just for reading in, but for sociable thinking, exploring, exchanging ideas and falling in love. They were never silent. Technology will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-macintyre/libraries-are-not-just-for-reading-in-but-for-sociable-thinking/) [Ben Macintyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-macintyre/) > [ In those days \[batch processing\] programmers never even documented their programs, because it was assumed that nobody else would ever use them. Now, however,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fano/in-those-days-batch-processing-programmers-never-even-documented/) [Robert Fano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fano/) > [Every day, three times per second, we produce the equivalent of the amount of data that the Library of Congress has in it's entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/every-day-three-times-per-second-we-produce-the-equivalent-of-the/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-you-do-today-is-important-because-you-are-exchanging-a-day-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Progress is achieved by exchanging our theories for new ones which go further than the old, until we find one based on a larger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/progress-is-achieved-by-exchanging-our-theories-for-new-ones-which-go/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [I'm not so interested in technology for technology's sake. I don't need incredibly sophisticated climate-control systems. And I'm absolutely amazed at the time people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annabelle-selldorf/i-m-not-so-interested-in-technology-for-technology-s-sake-i-don-t/) [Annabelle Selldorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annabelle-selldorf/) > [I like America anyway. In Japan we are much more formal. If two friends are separated for a long time and they meet they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sessue-hayakawa/i-like-america-anyway-in-japan-we-are-much-more-formal-if-two-friends/) [Sessue Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sessue-hayakawa/) > [In every encounter we either give life or we drain it; there is no neutral exchange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/in-every-encounter-we-either-give-life-or-we-drain-it-there-is-no/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [International educational exchange is the most significant current project designed to continue the process of humanizing mankind to the point, we would hope, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/international-educational-exchange-is-the-most-significant-current/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [I'm exchanging molecules every 30 days with the natural world and in a spiritual sense I know I am a part of it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-exchanging-molecules-every-30-days-with-the-natural-world-and-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Yet friendship, I believe, is essential to intellectuals. It is probably the growth hormone the mind requires as it begins its activity of producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/yet-friendship-i-believe-is-essential-to-intellectuals-it-is-probably/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) ## More by Eric Hoffer > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/we-lie-the-loudest-when-we-lie-to-ourselves/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Our originality shows itself most strikingly not in what we wholly originate but in what we do with that which we borrow from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/our-originality-shows-itself-most-strikingly-not-in-what-we-wholly/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-creative-mind-is-the-playful-mind-philosophy-is-the-play-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [It is also plausible that those movements with the greatest inner contradiction and between profession and practice - that is to say with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-also-plausible-that-those-movements-with-the-greatest-inner/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-best-part-of-the-art-of-living-is-to-know-how-to-grow-old/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“In the alchemy of man's soul almost all noble attributes--courage, honor, love, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, etc.--can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-the-alchemy-of-man-s-soul-almost-all-noble-attributes-courage/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The act of self-denial seems to confer on us the right to be harsh and merciless toward others. The impression somehow prevails that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-act-of-self-denial-seems-to-confer-on-us-the-right-to-be-harsh/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A nation without dregs and malcontents, is orderly, decent, peaceful and pleasant, but perhaps without the seed of things to come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-nation-without-dregs-and-malcontents-is-orderly-decent-peaceful-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/compassion-alone-stands-apart-from-the-continuous-traffic-between/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-are-many-who-find-a-good-alibi-far-more-attractive-than-an/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A war is not won if the defeated enemy has not been turned into a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-war-is-not-won-if-the-defeated-enemy-has-not-been-turned-into-a/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Man is the only creature that strives to surpass himself, and yearns for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/man-is-the-only-creature-that-strives-to-surpass-himself-and-yearns/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [This food-and-shelter theory concerning man's efforts is without insight. The desire for praise is more imperative than the desire for food and shelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/this-food-and-shelter-theory-concerning-man-s-efforts-is-without/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Explore all 658 Eric Hoffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## More Boundless quotes > [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [In my forties, my optimism was boundless. I had really good health and tremendous success which allowed me to do anything I wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/in-my-forties-my-optimism-was-boundless-i-had-really-good-health-and/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) > [The insolence of base minds in success is boundless; and would scarce admit of a comparison, did not they themselves furnish us with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/the-insolence-of-base-minds-in-success-is-boundless-and-would-scarce/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe... All is registered in the 'boundless heart' of the bodhisattva. Through our deepest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-macy/the-heart-that-breaks-open-can-contain-the-whole-universe-all-is/) [Joanna Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-macy/) > [Every time someone tried to explain to me there are limits to what one man can do, I pointed to the boundless sky and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaiprakash-gaur/every-time-someone-tried-to-explain-to-me-there-are-limits-to-what/) [Jaiprakash Gaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaiprakash-gaur/) > [I was much more into romance as a teenager and it's been a kind of new discovery for me to learn about sci-fi adventure.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/i-was-much-more-into-romance-as-a-teenager-and-it-s-been-a-kind-of/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [In the early days the Cubism' method of grasping an object was to go round and round it. The Futurists declared that one had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gino-severini/in-the-early-days-the-cubism-method-of-grasping-an-object-was-to-go/) [Gino Severini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gino-severini/) > [Keep your rivers flowing as they will, and you will continue to know the most important of all freedoms-the boundless scope of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/keep-your-rivers-flowing-as-they-will-and-you-will-continue-to-know/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [He was sailing over a boundless expanse of sea, with a blood-red sky above, and the angry waters, lashed into fury beneath, boiling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/he-was-sailing-over-a-boundless-expanse-of-sea-with-a-blood-red-sky/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In political activity, then, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea; there is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/in-political-activity-then-men-sail-a-boundless-and-bottomless-sea/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [To take a single step beyond the boundaries specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/to-take-a-single-step-beyond-the-boundaries-specially-drawn-around/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Vain are the thousand creeds That move men's hearts, unutterably vain; Worthless as withered weeds, Or idlest froth amid the boundless main.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/vain-are-the-thousand-creeds-that-move-men-s-hearts-unutterably-vain/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“The field of boundless emptiness is what exists from the very beginning. You must purify, cure, grind down, or brush away all the tendencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yi-wu-taigen-leighton/the-field-of-boundless-emptiness-is-what-exists-from-the-very/) [Yi Wu Taigen Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yi-wu-taigen-leighton/) > [Free will appears unfettered, deliberate; it is boundlessly free, wandering, the spirit. But fate is a necessity; unless we believe that world history is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/free-will-appears-unfettered-deliberate-it-is-boundlessly-free/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Not everyone possesses boundless energy or a conspicuous talent. We are not equally blessed with great intellect or physical beauty or emotional strength. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-graham/not-everyone-possesses-boundless-energy-or-a-conspicuous-talent-we/) [Gigi Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-graham/) [Browse all 327 Boundless quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundless/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The burning conviction that we have a holy duty towards others is often a way of attaching our drowning selves to a passing raft. What looks like a giving hand is often a holding on for dear life. Take away our holy duties and you leave our lives puny and meaningless. There is no doubt that in exchanging a self-centered for a selfless life we gain enormously in self-esteem. 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