---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is worth while to be kind and…"
description: "\"“It is worth while to be kind and generous,” he said. “Not only do such actions pile up a house of joy in Heaven; but there is, too, a quick reward her..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/246/john-steinbeck-71_generous_it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generou_2875664.jpg"
---

#  It is worth while to be kind and generous,” he said. “Not…

![“It is worth while to be kind and generous,” he said. “Not only do such actions pile up a house of joy in Heaven; but there is, too, a quick reward here on earth. One feels a golden warmth glowing like a hot enchilada in one’s stomach.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/246/john-steinbeck-71_generous_it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generou_2875664.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/246/john-steinbeck-71_generous_it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generou_2875664.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/246/john-steinbeck-71_generous_it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generou_2875664.jpg)

> ““It is worth while to be kind and generous,” he said. “Not only do such actions pile up a house of joy in Heaven; but there is, too, a quick reward here on earth. One feels a golden warmth glowing like a hot enchilada in one’s stomach.””

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

## About This Quote

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

He praises kindness and generosity, claiming they bring both heavenly joy and earthly warmth.

**In simple terms:** Kindness yields spiritual and tangible rewards.

Key Takeaway

Practice generosity for inner and outer fulfillment.

Themes

morality compassion reward

Mood

warm hopeful

Type

ethical inspirational

When to use this quote

- volunteering
- community service
- daily acts of kindness

Key Concepts

Altruism spiritual fulfillment

Questions to Reflect On

- How does generosity affect personal well‑being?
- What boundaries protect against burnout?

A Different Perspective

Kindness may be exploited.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/)

## Related quotes

> [Sometimes it's more generous to take than give, he said. "How?" Caroline asked. "To let the other person give you what he has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/sometimes-it-s-more-generous-to-take-than-give-he-said-how-caroline/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [“At fifteen you had the radiance of early morning, at twenty you will begin to have the melancholy brilliance of the moon, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/at-fifteen-you-had-the-radiance-of-early-morning-at-twenty-you-will-2/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [Tom Cruise is one of the most wonderful, kind, and generous men that I've ever met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-b-vance/tom-cruise-is-one-of-the-most-wonderful-kind-and-generous-men-that-i/)

[Courtney B. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-b-vance/)

> [Think of yourself as a role model for others-showing that you can be kind, generous, loving, and rich!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/think-of-yourself-as-a-role-model-for-others-showing-that-you-can-be/)

[T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/)

> [My parents made me who I am. They are kind, generous, loving people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-welbeck/my-parents-made-me-who-i-am-they-are-kind-generous-loving-people/)

[Danny Welbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-welbeck/)

> [I guess I'm way too kind and generous, and a saint - if you can believe that!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-stine/i-guess-i-m-way-too-kind-and-generous-and-a-saint-if-you-can-believe/)

[R. L. Stine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-stine/)

> [My wife is unusually kind and generous, but she's no fool. You don't mess with her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hill/my-wife-is-unusually-kind-and-generous-but-she-s-no-fool-you-don-t/)

[Dan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hill/)

> [Be kind and generous to your fellows, but hard and relentless with yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-bardon/be-kind-and-generous-to-your-fellows-but-hard-and-relentless-with/)

[Franz Bardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-bardon/)

> [“But if, once we return to the real world of human choice, we choose to be kind and generous, that is real love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/but-if-once-we-return-to-the-real-world-of-human-choice-we-choose-to/)

[Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/)

> [Just because I'm kind and generous doesn't mean I'm weak and stupid!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/just-because-i-m-kind-and-generous-doesn-t-mean-i-m-weak-and-stupid/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [I try to be kind and generous, and to give to people, and to do what I think God wants me to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-try-to-be-kind-and-generous-and-to-give-to-people-and-to-do-what-i/)

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

> [“It doesn't matter what you do in life as long as it's helpful, kind, and generous. What matters most, to my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louann-carroll/it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-do-in-life-as-long-as-it-s-helpful-kind/)

Louann Carroll

> [The British public are kind and generous, have buckets of common sense, and value fairness. We are known for it; other nations sometimes take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-mordaunt/the-british-public-are-kind-and-generous-have-buckets-of-common-sense/)

[Penny Mordaunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-mordaunt/)

> [The fact is that not only do people get more wise and more conservative as they get older, they get more kind and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-fact-is-that-not-only-do-people-get-more-wise-and-more/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [Every man is working out his destiny in his own way and nobody can be of any help except by being kind, generous, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/every-man-is-working-out-his-destiny-in-his-own-way-and-nobody-can-be/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

## More by John Steinbeck

> [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [“You come back a changed man. Samuel, you don’t change him. He changes you. I can see the look of him in your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/you-come-back-a-changed-man-samuel-you-don-t-change-him-he-changes/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [I find out of long experience that I admire all nations and hate all governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-find-out-of-long-experience-that-i-admire-all-nations-and-hate-all/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [“Who in his mind has not probe the dark water?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/who-in-his-mind-has-not-probe-the-dark-water/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [People like you to be something, preferably what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/people-like-you-to-be-something-preferably-what-they-are/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [“Suddenly he knew joy and sorrow felted into one fabric. Courage and fear were one thing too. He found that he had started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/suddenly-he-knew-joy-and-sorrow-felted-into-one-fabric-courage-and/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [I am writing this from what we Americans call Yurrp. In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

[Explore all 1,589 John Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

## More Generous quotes

> [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/)

Giambattista Bodoni

> [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/)

[John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/)

> [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/)

[James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/)

> [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/)

[Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/)

> [Generous in spirit, richly poetic, and packed with memorable characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-millman/generous-in-spirit-richly-poetic-and-packed-with-memorable-characters/)

[Lawrence Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-millman/)

> [As most New Yorkers have done, I have given serious and generous thought to the state of my apartment should I get killed during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/as-most-new-yorkers-have-done-i-have-given-serious-and-generous/)

[Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/)

> [Love is the key to the mystery. Love by its very nature is not selfish, but generous. It seeks not its own, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/love-is-the-key-to-the-mystery-love-by-its-very-nature-is-not-selfish/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [SCIENCE! thou fair effusive ray From the great source of mental Day, Free, generous, and refin'd! Descend with all thy treasures fraught, Illumine each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-akenside/science-thou-fair-effusive-ray-from-the-great-source-of-mental-day/)

[Mark Akenside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-akenside/)

> [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/)

[Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/)

> [If you're a generous person, when you get money and fame, you're going to be more generous. If you're a sharer, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/if-you-re-a-generous-person-when-you-get-money-and-fame-you-re-going/)

[Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/)

> [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in literature, they are always very permissive, to use the jargon word, and easy and generous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-female-kingdoms-in-literature/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, don't feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/in-terms-of-the-unemployed-of-which-we-have-over-a-million-and-a-half/)

[Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/)

> [Precise, graceful, and generous, the poems in SuperLoop, seem to be born out of a deep, careful attention and a profound compassion. Sometimes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-limon/precise-graceful-and-generous-the-poems-in-superloop-seem-to-be-born/)

[Ada Limon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-limon/)

[Browse all 1,450 Generous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It is worth while to be kind and generous,” he said. “Not only do such actions pile up a house of joy in Heaven; but there is, too, a quick reward here on earth. One feels a golden warmth glowing like a hot enchilada in one’s stomach.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Steinbeck"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generous-he-said-not-only-do-such/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Generous"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generous-he-said-not-only-do-such/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/246/john-steinbeck-71_generous_it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generou_2875664.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/246/john-steinbeck-71_generous_it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generou_2875664.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/246/john-steinbeck-71_generous_it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generou_2875664.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is worth while to be kind and generous,” he said. “Not only do such actions pile up a house of joy in…” — John Steinbeck",
                "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 Steinbeck",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It is worth while to be...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generous-he-said-not-only-do-such/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-worth-while-to-be-kind-and-generous-he-said-not-only-do-such/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
