Business Quote by John Morley
“The great business of life is to be, to do, to do without and to depart.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Life of John Morley (biography), 1905
Life’s purpose is to exist, act, act selflessly, and eventually leave peacefully.
In simple terms: Live, act, give, and depart.
Key Takeaway
Embrace each phase fully.
Themes
purpose
action
selflessness
mortality
Mood
reflective
serene
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- volunteering
- career transitions
- end‑of‑life planning
Key Concepts
existentialism
ethics
legacy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance personal ambition with serving others?
- What does a meaningful departure look like to you?
A Different Perspective
Self‑interest can conflict with selflessness.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)
