--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: is it that the moment I live for myself…" description: "\"“is it that the moment I live for myself, everyone around me becomes miserable, but when I try to live for others, I become miserable? Why”\" — John Sivils" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/john-sivils-249668_live-for-others_is-it-that-the-moment-i-live-for-myself_79945.jpg" --- # is it that the moment I live for myself, everyone around… ![“is it that the moment I live for myself, everyone around me becomes miserable, but when I try to live for others, I become miserable? Why” quote by John Sivils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/john-sivils-249668_live-for-others_is-it-that-the-moment-i-live-for-myself_79945.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/john-sivils-249668_live-for-others_is-it-that-the-moment-i-live-for-myself_79945.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/john-sivils-249668_live-for-others_is-it-that-the-moment-i-live-for-myself_79945.jpg) > ““is it that the moment I live for myself, everyone around me becomes miserable, but when I try to live for others, I become miserable? Why”” John Sivils ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living for oneself causes misery for others, while living for others also brings misery; a paradox. **In simple terms:** Self‑focus harms others; self‑lessness harms self. Key Takeaway Seek balanced altruism. Themes ethics paradox self others Mood conflicted thoughtful Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - personal boundaries - life coaching Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology of fulfillment social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When does helping become self‑harm? - How to balance self‑care and others? A Different Perspective Too much self‑sacrifice can be unhealthy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Live for others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-for-others/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [In general, I always make it my mission to focus on the one person in the audience who seems to be absolutely miserable about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-rothbart/in-general-i-always-make-it-my-mission-to-focus-on-the-one-person-in/) [Davy Rothbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-rothbart/) > [I pray every night that I may live after him; because I would rather be miserable than that he should be — that proves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/i-pray-every-night-that-i-may-live-after-him-because-i-would-rather/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [Unless you are willing to try, fail miserable, and try again, success won't happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/unless-you-are-willing-to-try-fail-miserable-and-try-again-success/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [Some people are miserable so they want others to be miserable too. Try to make what they are doing backfire and they will know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-hamilton/some-people-are-miserable-so-they-want-others-to-be-miserable-too-try/) [Nadia Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-hamilton/) > [“Too many people live miserable lives, but they don’t do anything to change them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hachey/too-many-people-live-miserable-lives-but-they-don-t-do-anything-to/) Denis Hachey > [I used to think you had to live this miserable life and that that would make you funnier, but you don't. The misery will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-used-to-think-you-had-to-live-this-miserable-life-and-that-that/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [If you want to live a miserable life, making your life all about other people is the way to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/if-you-want-to-live-a-miserable-life-making-your-life-all-about-other/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Who wants to die?’ he asked. ‘Everyone wants to live, everyone – even the most miserable worm is screaming for life! I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-fallada/who-wants-to-die-he-asked-everyone-wants-to-live-everyone-even-the/) [Hans Fallada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-fallada/) > [You only live once, why be miserable? Fat people are miserable -- you are carrying 50 lbs on your shoulders all day, you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/you-only-live-once-why-be-miserable-fat-people-are-miserable-you-are/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [The best way to live a miserable life is to pay attention to what other people are saying about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-best-way-to-live-a-miserable-life-is-to-pay-attention-to-what/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I wasn't present for my own life for a long time. I wasn't there; I wasn't in my relationships; I wasn't in my band;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rzeznik/i-wasn-t-present-for-my-own-life-for-a-long-time-i-wasn-t-there-i/) [John Rzeznik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rzeznik/) > [“One should try to live with his abilities rather than his deprivals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-h-rakib/one-should-try-to-live-with-his-abilities-rather-than-his-deprivals/) [M.H. Rakib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-h-rakib/) > [Life is a midget so try and live it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/life-is-a-midget-so-try-and-live-it-up/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [I do try to live every day as if it were my last, and it has worked for me so far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/i-do-try-to-live-every-day-as-if-it-were-my-last-and-it-has-worked/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [If you try to live that which is past, that which IS will bypass you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/if-you-try-to-live-that-which-is-past-that-which-is-will-bypass-you/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) ## More Live for others quotes > [They who will live for others shall have great troubles, but they shall seem to them small. Those who will live for themselves shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ralph-inge/they-who-will-live-for-others-shall-have-great-troubles-but-they/) [William Ralph Inge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ralph-inge/) > [It is easy to live for others, everybody does. I call on you to live for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-easy-to-live-for-others-everybody-does-i-call-on-you-to-live/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Live with dignity. Live for others, that is how one earns respect,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chetan-bhagat/live-with-dignity-live-for-others-that-is-how-one-earns-respect/) [Chetan Bhagat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chetan-bhagat/) > [All women are brought up from the very earliest years in the belief that their ideal of character is the very opposite to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-women-are-brought-up-from-the-very-earliest-years-in-the-belief/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Forget yourself and live for others, for It is more blessed to give than to receive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-b-simpson/forget-yourself-and-live-for-others-for-it-is-more-blessed-to-give/) [A. B. Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-b-simpson/) > [So much must I live for others, that almost I am a stranger to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-innocent-iii/so-much-must-i-live-for-others-that-almost-i-am-a-stranger-to-myself/) [Pope Innocent III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-innocent-iii/) > [The day you start earning will be the day youll realize, you cant spend your own earning on yourself but on those whom you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hqlinestumblr/the-day-you-start-earning-will-be-the-day-youll-realize-you-cant/) HQLinesTumblr > [If I live for self, I can only live for one; if I live for others, I can live for 3,000,000,000.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hyles/if-i-live-for-self-i-can-only-live-for-one-if-i-live-for-others-i-can/) [Jack Hyles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hyles/) > [“It is therefore of supreme importance that we consent to live not for ourselves but for others. When we do this we will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-therefore-of-supreme-importance-that-we-consent-to-live-not-for/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [We only have one life, but many ways, in which we can live it, we can live for others or choose to live for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/we-only-have-one-life-but-many-ways-in-which-we-can-live-it-we-can/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [What you do for yourself will die with you. What you do for others and for God can live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/what-you-do-for-yourself-will-die-with-you-what-you-do-for-others-and/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [Learning to live for others isn't something that just comes naturally to anybody. You have to train yourself to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/learning-to-live-for-others-isn-t-something-that-just-comes-naturally/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [The man who lives for himself is a failure; the man who lives for others has achieved true success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/the-man-who-lives-for-himself-is-a-failure-the-man-who-lives-for/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [A sensible human once said, "If people knew how much ill-feeling unselfishness occasions, it would not be so often recommended from the pulpit"; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/a-sensible-human-once-said-if-people-knew-how-much-ill-feeling/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“The man who attempts to live for others is a dependent. He is a parasite in motive and makes parasites of those he serves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-man-who-attempts-to-live-for-others-is-a-dependent-he-is-a/) [ayn rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) [Browse all 79 Live for others quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-for-others/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“is it that the moment I live for myself, everyone around me becomes miserable, but when I try to live for others, I become miserable? 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