--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Where I once believed people were there…" description: "\"Where I once believed people were there to be used, I started thinking of other people first.\" — Josh McDowell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/josh-mcdowell-4194_firsts_where-i-once-believed-people-were-there_1584804.png" --- # Where I once believed people were there to be used, I… ![“Where I once believed people were there to be used, I started thinking of other people first.” quote by Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/josh-mcdowell-4194_firsts_where-i-once-believed-people-were-there_1584804.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/josh-mcdowell-4194_firsts_where-i-once-believed-people-were-there_1584804.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/josh-mcdowell-4194_firsts_where-i-once-believed-people-were-there_1584804.png) > “Where I once believed people were there to be used, I started thinking of other people first.” [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A shift from self‑interest to valuing others first, recognizing people as ends not means. **In simple terms:** Put others before yourself. Key Takeaway Prioritize others. Themes empathy selflessness growth Mood reflective inspirational Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - teamwork - leadership - relationships - volunteering Key Concepts human dignity ethical behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance self‑care with helping others? - What habits nurture genuine concern for others? A Different Perspective May overlook personal boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-of-others/) ## Related quotes > [The United Nations did a study just over two years ago, and that blew my mind. I started thinking that if people are vegetarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/the-united-nations-did-a-study-just-over-two-years-ago-and-that-blew/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [No one is useless…Those people are used less...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anamika-singh/no-one-is-useless-those-people-are-used-less/) [Anamika Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anamika-singh/) > [We have always believed that our people can stand on no higher ground than the school ground, or can enter any more hopeful room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/we-have-always-believed-that-our-people-can-stand-on-no-higher-ground/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [“He believed in people. He believed that if people could only be shown the right way-the way to health and order, a way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/he-believed-in-people-he-believed-that-if-people-could-only-be-shown/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Until now, I was insecure and I believed what the people around me said in regarding what I should sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namie-amuro/until-now-i-was-insecure-and-i-believed-what-the-people-around-me/) [Namie Amuro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namie-amuro/) > [“The lie was that we believed that we believed all people were created equal! What made us think we were this great free society?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-lie-was-that-we-believed-that-we-believed-all-people-were-created/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“If I believed people who told me you can't make a living as a writer, I wouldn't be making a living as a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-meikle/if-i-believed-people-who-told-me-you-can-t-make-a-living-as-a-writer/) [William Meikle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-meikle/) > [I truly believed that other people in my position didn't make mistakes; I couldn't see that everybody makes them, even people with great experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-graham/i-truly-believed-that-other-people-in-my-position-didn-t-make/) [Katharine Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-graham/) > [If Chester had a failing, it was that he believed people were what they thought they were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/if-chester-had-a-failing-it-was-that-he-believed-people-were-what/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [“Happiness. I believed few people ever achieved it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/happiness-i-believed-few-people-ever-achieved-it/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [People don't realise how big it is for someone who at the age of 26 - not the age of 20 - cracks into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sakkari/people-don-t-realise-how-big-it-is-for-someone-who-at-the-age-of-26/) [Maria Sakkari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sakkari/) > [“When I was extremely young and shockingly stupid, I thought you weren't supposed to ever get angry at anybody you cared about (lest you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kogan/when-i-was-extremely-young-and-shockingly-stupid-i-thought-you-weren/) Lisa Kogan > [Younger people who are being indoctrinated into the contemporary system of falsification - they really have to do some research to find out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/younger-people-who-are-being-indoctrinated-into-the-contemporary/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [People said things they didn't mean all the time. Everybody else in the world seemed able to factor it in. But not Lena. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/people-said-things-they-didn-t-mean-all-the-time-everybody-else-in/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“She had faith that each moment would be finer than the last. She believed that people were good,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hart/she-had-faith-that-each-moment-would-be-finer-than-the-last-she/) [John Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hart/) ## More by Josh McDowell > [“People naturally have questions. They always have and always will. One of the key functions of apologetics, then, is to respond to questions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/people-naturally-have-questions-they-always-have-and-always-will-one/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Why don't the names of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius offend people? The reason is that these others didn't claim to be God, but Jesus did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/why-don-t-the-names-of-buddha-mohammed-confucius-offend-people-the/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [I've never had anyone define purity. You probably can't define purity. Purity is to live according to original design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/i-ve-never-had-anyone-define-purity-you-probably-can-t-define-purity/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [If Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, and He did die on a cross at a point of time in history, then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/if-jesus-christ-was-who-he-claimed-to-be-and-he-did-die-on-a-cross-at/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [The New Testament witnesses were fully aware of the background against which the resurrection took place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/the-new-testament-witnesses-were-fully-aware-of-the-background/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [One who claimed what Jesus claimed about himself couldn't be a good moral man or a prophet. That option isn't open to us, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/one-who-claimed-what-jesus-claimed-about-himself-couldn-t-be-a-good/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [“God placed humans on a plateau above the rest of creation when he fashioned them in his relational image and likeness. To”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/god-placed-humans-on-a-plateau-above-the-rest-of-creation-when-he/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [After more than 700 hours of studying this subject, and thoroughly investigating its foundation, I have come to the conclusion that the resurrection of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/after-more-than-700-hours-of-studying-this-subject-and-thoroughly/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Where I once constantly lost my temper, I found myself arriving at a crisis and experiencing peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/where-i-once-constantly-lost-my-temper-i-found-myself-arriving-at-a/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [We no longer live in a post-Christian society, we live in an anti-Christian society, one in which the Christian faith is dismissed or ridiculed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/we-no-longer-live-in-a-post-christian-society-we-live-in-an-anti/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [True love is spelled G-I-V-E. It is not based on what you can get, but rooted in what you can give to the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/true-love-is-spelled-g-i-v-e-it-is-not-based-on-what-you-can-get-but/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Stephen L. Carter coined the phrase 'the culture of disbelief' to describe the prevailing hostility in Western culture toward public expressions of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/stephen-l-carter-coined-the-phrase-the-culture-of-disbelief-to/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [On that Sunday morning the first thing that impressed the people who approached the tomb was the unusual position of the one and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/on-that-sunday-morning-the-first-thing-that-impressed-the-people-who/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [What you are as a single person, you will be as a married person, only to a greater degree. Any negative character trait will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/what-you-are-as-a-single-person-you-will-be-as-a-married-person-only/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Whenever you do judge, the only basis of judgment is not your own perspective or anything else, it's the very character and nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/whenever-you-do-judge-the-only-basis-of-judgment-is-not-your-own/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) [Explore all 113 Josh McDowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) ## More Firsts quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [You sort of can't talk about the post production unless you talk about what comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-greengrass/you-sort-of-can-t-talk-about-the-post-production-unless-you-talk/) [Paul Greengrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-greengrass/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Where I once believed people were there to be used, I started thinking of other people first.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josh McDowell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/where-i-once-believed-people-were-there-to-be-used-i-started-thinking/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Firsts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/where-i-once-believed-people-were-there-to-be-used-i-started-thinking/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/josh-mcdowell-4194_firsts_where-i-once-believed-people-were-there_1584804.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/josh-mcdowell-4194_firsts_where-i-once-believed-people-were-there_1584804.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c07/josh-mcdowell-4194_firsts_where-i-once-believed-people-were-there_1584804.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Where I once believed people were there to be used, I started thinking of other people first.” — Josh McDowell", "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": "Josh McDowell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Where I once believed people were...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/where-i-once-believed-people-were-there-to-be-used-i-started-thinking/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/where-i-once-believed-people-were-there-to-be-used-i-started-thinking/#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 } } ] } ```