--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Your first responsibility is to yourself…" description: "\"Your first responsibility is to yourself and to your own goodness of heart.\" — George Saunders" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/george-saunders-317_firsts_your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself_3135767.jpg" --- # Your first responsibility is to yourself and to your own… ![“Your first responsibility is to yourself and to your own goodness of heart.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/george-saunders-317_firsts_your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself_3135767.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/george-saunders-317_firsts_your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself_3135767.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/george-saunders-317_firsts_your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself_3135767.jpg) > “Your first responsibility is to yourself and to your own goodness of heart.” [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes personal responsibility and moral integrity as foundational duties. **In simple terms:** Take care of yourself and stay morally good. Key Takeaway Prioritize self‑care and ethical growth. Themes responsibility morality self‑care Mood reflective serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - making decisions - daily habits - leadership - conflict resolution Key Concepts ethical integrity personal duty Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑care with caring for others? - What does a good heart mean to you? A Different Perspective Neglecting others can undermine personal goodness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Goodness Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness-heart-2712065/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Responsibility Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility-goodness-5564756/) ## Related quotes > [Our first responsibility in all things is to preserve our goodness of heart - then and only then act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/our-first-responsibility-in-all-things-is-to-preserve-our-goodness-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [The goodness of the heart is shown in deeds Of peacefulness and kindness. Hand and heart Are one thing with the good, as thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/the-goodness-of-the-heart-is-shown-in-deeds-of-peacefulness-and/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [Be a true representative of the goodness in your heart, and don't expect it to be easy or even noticed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/be-a-true-representative-of-the-goodness-in-your-heart-and-don-t/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [“All good things are borne from evil, just like good people. It’s very rare that someone does things purely out of the goodness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-reaver/all-good-things-are-borne-from-evil-just-like-good-people-it-s-very/) [Kevin Reaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-reaver/) > [It all begins with goodness in the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjorn-street/it-all-begins-with-goodness-in-the-heart/) [Bjorn Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjorn-street/) > [“Those who can find faults in everything have a brain, Those who can find goodness in everything have a heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luca-d-l/those-who-can-find-faults-in-everything-have-a-brain-those-who-can/) [Luca D.L](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luca-d-l/) > [Everyday we used to slip away to talk. We would talk about the goodness of your heart. Now it seems I admit that never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-belle/everyday-we-used-to-slip-away-to-talk-we-would-talk-about-the/) [Regina Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-belle/) > [I know politics and politicians are hated, but I still believe in goodness of a heart that has selfless intentions. With the grace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajyavardhan-singh-rathore/i-know-politics-and-politicians-are-hated-but-i-still-believe-in/) [Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajyavardhan-singh-rathore/) > [It's a great responsibility before God, the judge who guides us, who draws us to truth and good, and in this sense the church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/it-s-a-great-responsibility-before-god-the-judge-who-guides-us-who/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/and-if-thy-heart-be-straight-with-god-then-every-creature-shall-be-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [The first responsibility of the Muslim is as teacher. That is his job, to teach. His first school, his first classroom is within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rap-brown/the-first-responsibility-of-the-muslim-is-as-teacher-that-is-his-job/) [H. Rap Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rap-brown/) > [Responsible Development shares many practices with XP but the roots are different. Responsible Development's values are honesty, transparency, accountability and responsibility. These lead me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-beck/responsible-development-shares-many-practices-with-xp-but-the-roots/) [Kent Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-beck/) > [In the end I'm still a writer. I'm still a journalist, and my first responsibility is to my readers. That's where I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-end-i-m-still-a-writer-i-m-still-a-journalist-and-my-first/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) ## More by George Saunders > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. These and all things started as nothing, latent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/none-of-it-was-real-nothing-was-real-everything-was-real/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-must-see-god-not-as-a-him-some-linear-rewarding-fellow-but-an-it-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/america-to-me-should-be-shouting-all-the-time-a-bunch-of-shouting/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“A Clinton staffer tells me his theory. Think about Frank Sinatra, he says: born to sing. Think about Willie Mays: born to play ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-clinton-staffer-tells-me-his-theory-think-about-frank-sinatra-he/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy, you respect his not buying. A guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-america-is-to-me-is-a-guy-doesn-t-want-to-buy-you-let-him-not/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What good the prophet in the wilderness may do is incremental and personal. It's good for us to hear someone speak the irrational truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-good-the-prophet-in-the-wilderness-may-do-is-incremental-and/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [You don't want to be that parent - the one who dresses his kid in a cloth sack when all the other kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-don-t-want-to-be-that-parent-the-one-who-dresses-his-kid-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) [Explore all 690 George Saunders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More Firsts 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/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [You sort of can't talk about the post production unless you talk about what comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-greengrass/you-sort-of-can-t-talk-about-the-post-production-unless-you-talk/) [Paul Greengrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-greengrass/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) [Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Your first responsibility is to yourself and to your own goodness of heart.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Saunders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself-and-to-your-own-goodness-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Firsts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself-and-to-your-own-goodness-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/george-saunders-317_firsts_your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself_3135767.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/george-saunders-317_firsts_your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself_3135767.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/george-saunders-317_firsts_your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself_3135767.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Your first responsibility is to yourself and to your own goodness of heart.” — George Saunders", "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": "George Saunders", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Your first responsibility is to yourself...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself-and-to-your-own-goodness-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/your-first-responsibility-is-to-yourself-and-to-your-own-goodness-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 } } ] } ```