--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you put everyone else first you'll…" description: "\"“If you put everyone else first you'll always be last, but if you always put yourself first you will never last.”\" — Ivor W. Hartmann" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2d/ivor-w-hartmann-65579_quote_if-you-put-everyone-else-first-you-ll-al_1452380.jpg" --- # If you put everyone else first you'll always be last, but… ![“If you put everyone else first you'll always be last, but if you always put yourself first you will never last.” quote by Ivor W. Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2d/ivor-w-hartmann-65579_quote_if-you-put-everyone-else-first-you-ll-al_1452380.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2d/ivor-w-hartmann-65579_quote_if-you-put-everyone-else-first-you-ll-al_1452380.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2d/ivor-w-hartmann-65579_quote_if-you-put-everyone-else-first-you-ll-al_1452380.jpg) > ““If you put everyone else first you'll always be last, but if you always put yourself first you will never last.”” Ivor W. Hartmann ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritizing others can lead to personal neglect, while self‑focus may harm relationships. **In simple terms:** Balance self‑care and caring for others. Key Takeaway Seek healthy equilibrium. Themes ethics self‑care altruism Mood thoughtful balanced Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - workplace - family life - volunteering Key Concepts self‑interest social duty Questions to Reflect On - When does self‑care become selfish? - How to set boundaries without neglect? A Different Perspective Extreme self‑focus can become selfish. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“If I put others first, I will never find myself being last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-i-put-others-first-i-will-never-find-myself-being-last/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Putting yourself first means you will never be last!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/putting-yourself-first-means-you-will-never-be-last/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“It doesn't matter if I'm the first. It only matters that I'll be the last”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/it-doesn-t-matter-if-i-m-the-first-it-only-matters-that-i-ll-be-the/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Put people first and you'll be first among people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-stocker/put-people-first-and-you-ll-be-first-among-people/) [Todd Stocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-stocker/) > [“always be on your self every one has taken before”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsin/always-be-on-your-self-every-one-has-taken-before/) Walsin > [“I've got to be first all the time — in everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-cobb/i-ve-got-to-be-first-all-the-time-in-everything/) [Ty Cobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-cobb/) > [“Under any circumstance, always do your best, no more and no less. But keep in mind that your best is never going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz/under-any-circumstance-always-do-your-best-no-more-and-no-less-but/) [Miguel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz/) > [“Always try to be good to people don't always put yourself first, and don't always expect things to be fair, because they won't be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffan-piper/always-try-to-be-good-to-people-don-t-always-put-yourself-first-and/) [Steffan Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffan-piper/) > [“Never mind being first. If you want to count for something, be the last of your kind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/never-mind-being-first-if-you-want-to-count-for-something-be-the-last/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“No one wants to be the one left behind. Everyone wants to be the first to go, so that you can avoid the sting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-flower/no-one-wants-to-be-the-one-left-behind-everyone-wants-to-be-the-first/) Amanda Flower > [“There aren't too many firsts in your life that you get to keep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-stewart/there-aren-t-too-many-firsts-in-your-life-that-you-get-to-keep/) Chuck Stewart > [“And isn't this hard when we ourselves are always at the beginning of ourselves?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mcelroy/and-isn-t-this-hard-when-we-ourselves-are-always-at-the-beginning-of/) [Joseph McElroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mcelroy/) > [“Anyone that will make a difference would have to put others ahead of them; put others first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/anyone-that-will-make-a-difference-would-have-to-put-others-ahead-of/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“I’ll always be yours. Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-ll-always-be-yours-always/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“You need never settle for second best. Never.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerstin-gier/you-need-never-settle-for-second-best-never/) [Kerstin Gier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerstin-gier/) ## More by Ivor W. Hartmann > [“She danced alone with her eyes closed, and seemed to move to a beat more powerful than what ears alone could hear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivor-w-hartmann/she-danced-alone-with-her-eyes-closed-and-seemed-to-move-to-a-beat/) Ivor W. Hartmann > [“Life is what happens in-between writing; almost always a necessary inconvenience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivor-w-hartmann/life-is-what-happens-in-between-writing-almost-always-a-necessary/) Ivor W. Hartmann > [“...they were always going somewhere yet seemingly nowhere, some house, some club, some river, some place, all fixed by a nowhere ring of familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivor-w-hartmann/they-were-always-going-somewhere-yet-seemingly-nowhere-some-house/) Ivor W. Hartmann Explore all 4 Ivor W. Hartmann quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you put everyone else first you'll always be last, but if you always put yourself first you will never last.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ivor W. 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