--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never take away anything if you have…" description: "\"Never take away anything if you have nothing better to offer\" — Irvin D. Yalom" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f73/irvin-d-yalom-1519_away_never-take-away-anything-if-you-have-not_2099070.png" --- # Never take away anything if you have nothing better to offer ![“Never take away anything if you have nothing better to offer” quote by Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f73/irvin-d-yalom-1519_away_never-take-away-anything-if-you-have-not_2099070.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f73/irvin-d-yalom-1519_away_never-take-away-anything-if-you-have-not_2099070.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f73/irvin-d-yalom-1519_away_never-take-away-anything-if-you-have-not_2099070.png) > “Never take away anything if you have nothing better to offer” [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages offering something valuable before removing anything, emphasizing constructive contribution. **In simple terms:** Give before you take away. Key Takeaway Offer value before demanding removal. Themes ethics relationships psychology Mood reflective empathetic Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - team projects - friendships - therapy sessions Key Concepts reciprocity personal growth boundary setting Questions to Reflect On - What can you contribute in a loss? - How to handle situations with no clear offering? A Different Perspective May be impractical when nothing can be offered. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Away Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-better-629516/) [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Better Offer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-offer-1418126/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Offer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offer/) [Offers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offers/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settle/) ## Related quotes > [It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.à](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-better-to-offer-no-excuse-than-a-bad-one/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Why is love so good...? You love someone and they leave. They come home one day and you say "What's happening?" and they say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/why-is-love-so-good-you-love-someone-and-they-leave-they-come-home/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Ditching someone for a 'better offer' is dirty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ditching-someone-for-a-better-offer-is-dirty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I take up something, then it's only because I love it so. It makes no sense to leave it just because I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhika-apte/if-i-take-up-something-then-it-s-only-because-i-love-it-so-it-makes/) [Radhika Apte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhika-apte/) > [Love is just temporary,when you have someone keep them don't jus leave them cause you got a better offer love lasts while it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-william/love-is-just-temporary-when-you-have-someone-keep-them-don-t-jus/) [Justin William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-william/) > [To obtain an assured favorable response from people, it is better to offer them something for their stomachs instead of their brains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/to-obtain-an-assured-favorable-response-from-people-it-is-better-to/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Never Let Anyone Come to You Without Coming Away Better and Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/never-let-anyone-come-to-you-without-coming-away-better-and-happier/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [“If you ever get the chance to treat them the way they treated you, I hope you choose to walk away and do better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najwa-zebian/if-you-ever-get-the-chance-to-treat-them-the-way-they-treated-you-i/) [Najwa Zebian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najwa-zebian/) > [“Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/meditation-practice-isn-t-about-trying-to-throw-ourselves-away-and-2/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [If something good fades away, something better is on the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-something-good-fades-away-something-better-is-on-the-way/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its good to stay away for a while but its better to stay away forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-good-to-stay-away-for-a-while-but-its-better-to-stay-away-forever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I can be the character, the further I can get away from myself, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mackay/the-more-i-can-be-the-character-the-further-i-can-get-away-from/) [George MacKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mackay/) > [If you take the pleasure of risk away from me, I'd be better off going home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-verratti/if-you-take-the-pleasure-of-risk-away-from-me-i-d-be-better-off-going/) [Marco Verratti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-verratti/) > [I am not a toy you can't just throw me away for a better toy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april/i-am-not-a-toy-you-can-t-just-throw-me-away-for-a-better-toy/) [April](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april/) > [Sometimes walking away is better than standing there acting like it doesn't bother you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-walking-away-is-better-than-standing-there-acting-like-it/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) ## More by Irvin D. Yalom > [“ALAS, IF ALL HUMANS WERE WISE AND HAD MORE GOOD WILL THE WORLD WOULD BE A PARADISE NOW IT IS MOSTLY A HELL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/alas-if-all-humans-were-wise-and-had-more-good-will-the-world-would/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [I dream of a love that is more than two people craving to possess one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/i-dream-of-a-love-that-is-more-than-two-people-craving-to-possess-one/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Ümitsizlik özfarkındalık uğruna ödenen bedeldir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/mitsizlik-zfark-ndal-k-u-runa-denen-bedeldir/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Therapists need to have a long experience in personal therapy to see what it's like to be on the other side of the couch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/therapists-need-to-have-a-long-experience-in-personal-therapy-to-see/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Beginning therapists must learn that there are times to sit in silence, sometimes in silent communion, sometimes simply while waiting for patients' thoughts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/beginning-therapists-must-learn-that-there-are-times-to-sit-in/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [If one is to learn to live with the dead, one must first learn to live with the living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/if-one-is-to-learn-to-live-with-the-dead-one-must-first-learn-to-live/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Specialness as a primary mode of death transcendence takes a number of other maladaptive forms. The drive for power is not uncommonly motivated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/specialness-as-a-primary-mode-of-death-transcendence-takes-a-number/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Exactly. We know that the great Goethe carried a copy of Spinoza’s Ethics in his pocket for a year. Imagine that—an entire year! And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/exactly-we-know-that-the-great-goethe-carried-a-copy-of-spinoza-s/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Hope is the worst of evils because it protracts torment.” “Your”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/hope-is-the-worst-of-evils-because-it-protracts-torment-your/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Mature love is loving, not being loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/mature-love-is-loving-not-being-loved/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Absolute power, as we have always known, corrupts absolutely; it corrupts because it does not do the trick for the individual. Reality always creeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/absolute-power-as-we-have-always-known-corrupts-absolutely-it/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Indeed, the capacity to tolerate uncertainty is a prerequisite for the profession. Though the public may believe that therapists guide patients systematically and sure-handedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/indeed-the-capacity-to-tolerate-uncertainty-is-a-prerequisite-for-the/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Rollo May quipped that anxiety about nothing tries to become anxiety about something. In other words, anxiety about nothingness quickly attaches itself to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/rollo-may-quipped-that-anxiety-about-nothing-tries-to-become-anxiety/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“I often urge patients to project themselves into the future and to consider how they can live now so that five years hence they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/i-often-urge-patients-to-project-themselves-into-the-future-and-to/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [When people don't have any curiosity about themselves, that is always a bad sign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/when-people-don-t-have-any-curiosity-about-themselves-that-is-always/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) [Explore all 184 Irvin D. Yalom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## More Away quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [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/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [You just say the word, and I'll make the rest of the world go away. I'll take you someplace safe, where no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/you-just-say-the-word-and-i-ll-make-the-rest-of-the-world-go-away-i/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Beauty fades away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/beauty-fades-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“Please don't go away. You--you matter. To me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/please-don-t-go-away-you-you-matter-to-me/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [“Why is it," she asked, snuggling closer, "that I so often imagine myself running away and running free?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/why-is-it-she-asked-snuggling-closer-that-i-so-often-imagine-myself/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) [Browse all 4,933 Away quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never take away anything if you have nothing better to offer", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irvin D. 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