---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best rule for philanthropy is to give…"
description: "\"The best rule for philanthropy is to give until it hurts, as much as you can, because none of us can get through life all by ourselves.\" — John C. Bogle"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/john-c-bogle-2199_best_the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-giv_2251169.jpg"
---

#  The best rule for philanthropy is to give until it hurts…

![“The best rule for philanthropy is to give until it hurts, as much as you can, because none of us can get through life all by ourselves.” quote by John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/john-c-bogle-2199_best_the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-giv_2251169.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/john-c-bogle-2199_best_the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-giv_2251169.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/john-c-bogle-2199_best_the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-giv_2251169.jpg)

> “The best rule for philanthropy is to give until it hurts, as much as you can, because none of us can get through life all by ourselves.”

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

## About This Quote

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

Philanthropy should be generous to the point of personal sacrifice, because we all need help.

**In simple terms:** Give generously, even when it hurts.

Key Takeaway

Give beyond comfort.

Themes

generosity community interdependence

Mood

thoughtful compassionate

Type

ethical philosophical

When to use this quote

- charitable giving
- family support
- community projects

Key Concepts

altruism social responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How much can you give without harming yourself?
- What support networks can you rely on?

A Different Perspective

Over‑giving may lead to personal burnout.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Philanthropy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philanthropy/)

## Related quotes

> [It hurts to be around life. People don't understand how close death is, right over their shoulders, around the block, at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-sorensen/it-hurts-to-be-around-life-people-don-t-understand-how-close-death-is/)

[Jessica Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-sorensen/)

> [“live your life and be yourself, never look back and forgot everything hurts you because life is just going on it's never stop for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helda-omar/live-your-life-and-be-yourself-never-look-back-and-forgot-everything/)

helda omar

> [Always communicate no matter how hard it is to tell someone something's wrong. It's worse not to talk about it. I learn this every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsters/always-communicate-no-matter-how-hard-it-is-to-tell-someone-something/)

[James Marsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsters/)

> [The love we do not show here on Earth is the only thing that hurts us in the after-life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/the-love-we-do-not-show-here-on-earth-is-the-only-thing-that-hurts-us/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [Seek peace even if progressing towards peace hurts. Life is worth living in peace, life is less worth living in pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/seek-peace-even-if-progressing-towards-peace-hurts-life-is-worth/)

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

> [Its how FAKE a smile can be and no one would notice the pain that lays beneath it all.. I know it hurts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-nothing/its-how-fake-a-smile-can-be-and-no-one-would-notice-the-pain-that/)

Im Nothing

> [Love hurts, it's how life is but someday someone won't hurt you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-hurts-it-s-how-life-is-but-someday-someone-won-t-hurt-you/)

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

> [Sometimes facing the truth hurts you, but it's part of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-facing-the-truth-hurts-you-but-it-s-part-of-life/)

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

> [It hurts how life goes on, unknowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-lord/it-hurts-how-life-goes-on-unknowing/)

[Cynthia Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-lord/)

> [“Sometimes you make a sacrifice for what you believe,even if it hurts you your whole life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ayres/sometimes-you-make-a-sacrifice-for-what-you-believe-even-if-it-hurts/)

Katherine Ayres

> [Love hurts. Life sucks. People change. Shit happens. But don't give up yet. It'll get better. I promise you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-hurts-life-sucks-people-change-shit-happens-but-don-t-give-up/)

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

> [All my life I was watching her ... and it just really hurts that for all of my life, it is the only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaypee/all-my-life-i-was-watching-her-and-it-just-really-hurts-that-for-all/)

[Jaypee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaypee/)

> [“Zachary decided a long time ago he didn’t want to be hurt any more by people leaving him. You see the kind of life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-somerville/zachary-decided-a-long-time-ago-he-didn-t-want-to-be-hurt-any-more-by/)

[Ann Somerville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-somerville/)

> [Never together I fall down and cry I finally asked him But what did he do? Nothing He never even looked at me Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-together-i-fall-down-and-cry-i-finally-asked-him-but-what-did/)

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

> [“There's no sell in serve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julieanne-o-connor/there-s-no-sell-in-serve/)

[Julieanne O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julieanne-o-connor/)

## More by John C. Bogle

> [The basic idea of retirement income is, to me, to get a check, two checks every month, one from your fixed income and one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/the-basic-idea-of-retirement-income-is-to-me-to-get-a-check-two/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [When you're young, you've got plenty of time to recover from your mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/when-you-re-young-you-ve-got-plenty-of-time-to-recover-from-your/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [I almost hate to say how proud I am of my career and, most of all, helping folks get the returns they deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/i-almost-hate-to-say-how-proud-i-am-of-my-career-and-most-of-all/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [The Vanguard Experiment was designed to prove that mutual funds could operate independently, and do so in a manner that would directly benefit their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/the-vanguard-experiment-was-designed-to-prove-that-mutual-funds-could/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. Learning is to the Studious, and Riches to the Careful. If a man empties his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/an-investment-in-knowledge-always-pays-the-best-interest-learning-is/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [I liked the so-called Volcker Rule. I would have separated investment banking and commercial, deposit banking, as we did under the Glass-Steagal Act. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/i-liked-the-so-called-volcker-rule-i-would-have-separated-investment/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [We make too much out of past performance, and it's very misleading to investors. It causes them to move money around. They buy a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/we-make-too-much-out-of-past-performance-and-it-s-very-misleading-to/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [It's very difficult for any particular segment of the stock market to sustain superior performance. The watch word for our financial markets is, "reversion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/it-s-very-difficult-for-any-particular-segment-of-the-stock-market-to/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [I do think that impact investing is not that effective. Shares go from investor A to investor B, and the company doesn't even know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/i-do-think-that-impact-investing-is-not-that-effective-shares-go-from/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [I was born in an earlier generation and, as a group, my classmates at Blair Academy and Princeton University were as ethical, straightforward, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/i-was-born-in-an-earlier-generation-and-as-a-group-my-classmates-at/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [My only regret about money is that I don't have more to give away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/my-only-regret-about-money-is-that-i-don-t-have-more-to-give-away/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [U.S. companies are innovative and entrepreneurial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/u-s-companies-are-innovative-and-entrepreneurial/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [Successful investing is about owning businesses and reaping the huge rewards provided by the dividends and earnings growth of our nation's - and, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/successful-investing-is-about-owning-businesses-and-reaping-the-huge/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [Without getting into brothels, there are ethical capitalists the problem is that there aren't enough of them. It is not "just a few bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/without-getting-into-brothels-there-are-ethical-capitalists-the/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [The average hedge fund manager is going to earn zero per cent in extra return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/the-average-hedge-fund-manager-is-going-to-earn-zero-per-cent-in/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

[Explore all 179 John C. Bogle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

## More Best quotes

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/)

[Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/)

> [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/)

[Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/)

> [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/)

Gene Scott

> [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/)

[Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/)

[Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/)

Browse all 21,674 Best quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The best rule for philanthropy is to give until it hurts, as much as you can, because none of us can get through life all by ourselves.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John C. Bogle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-give-until-it-hurts-as-much-as/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Best"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-give-until-it-hurts-as-much-as/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/john-c-bogle-2199_best_the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-giv_2251169.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/john-c-bogle-2199_best_the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-giv_2251169.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a7/john-c-bogle-2199_best_the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-giv_2251169.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The best rule for philanthropy is to give until it hurts, as much as you can, because none of us can get…” — John C. Bogle",
                "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": "John C. Bogle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The best rule for philanthropy is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-give-until-it-hurts-as-much-as/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/the-best-rule-for-philanthropy-is-to-give-until-it-hurts-as-much-as/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
