--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes you need to give people…" description: "\"Sometimes you need to give people something that's for them, not just something that makes you feel good giving it.\" — Katherine Paterson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/katherine-paterson-2365_feel-good_sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-someth_1609134.png" --- # Sometimes you need to give people something that's for… ![“Sometimes you need to give people something that's for them, not just something that makes you feel good giving it.” quote by Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/katherine-paterson-2365_feel-good_sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-someth_1609134.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/katherine-paterson-2365_feel-good_sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-someth_1609134.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/katherine-paterson-2365_feel-good_sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-someth_1609134.png) > “Sometimes you need to give people something that's for them, not just something that makes you feel good giving it.” [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Giving should be guided by the recipient's needs, not just the giver's desire for satisfaction. **In simple terms:** Give what truly helps others, not just what feels good to you. Key Takeaway Prioritize others' needs in generosity. Themes generosity empathy intentionality Mood thoughtful considerate Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - charitable donations - mentorship - family support Key Concepts altruism need-based giving self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What do you truly need versus what you think you need? - How can you assess another's need accurately? A Different Perspective Sometimes personal fulfillment aligns with helping others, blurring the line. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [It makes you feel good when a movie works. 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Don't hold back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-sullivan/if-you-re-around-someone-who-makes-you-feel-good-you-have-to-go-for/) [Faith Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-sullivan/) > [If you can eat with mates or friends or family, I mean, it's such a brilliant thing isn't it? If you feel really rubbish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/if-you-can-eat-with-mates-or-friends-or-family-i-mean-it-s-such-a/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [For me, it's just eat whatever makes you feel good. Work out whenever you want to. Just take care of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/for-me-it-s-just-eat-whatever-makes-you-feel-good-work-out-whenever/) [Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/) > [Sometimes the music just has to tell the story without you trying to tell the story. 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It makes you feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovitz/it-s-fun-to-do-something-funny-and-have-the-director-laughing-it/) [Jon Lovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovitz/) ## More by Katherine Paterson > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [“You're the proverbial diamond in the rough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/you-re-the-proverbial-diamond-in-the-rough/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [We do have trouble dealing with death, but it's the one thing that is guaranteed we are all going to have to do, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/we-do-have-trouble-dealing-with-death-but-it-s-the-one-thing-that-is/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [Everybody gets scared sometimes, May Belle. You don't have to be ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/everybody-gets-scared-sometimes-may-belle-you-don-t-have-to-be-ashamed/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [Obviously, I love to do both contemporary and historical fiction. 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It would be so secret that we would never tell anyone in the whole world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/we-need-a-place-she-said-just-for-us-it-would-be-so-secret-that-we/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) [Explore all 166 Katherine Paterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) ## More Feel good quotes > [Good girls don't hurt other people's feelings. Good girls are not overly aggressive, competitive, or boastful. Good girls please others. But what good girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jane-gilman/good-girls-don-t-hurt-other-people-s-feelings-good-girls-are-not/) [Susan Jane Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jane-gilman/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [To fashion stars out of dog dung, that is the Great Work. To take a negative experience and, by comparing it to something worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-david-neel/to-fashion-stars-out-of-dog-dung-that-is-the-great-work-to-take-a/) [Alexandra David-Neel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-david-neel/) > [I've had a couple knockouts, but I feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanderlei-silva/i-ve-had-a-couple-knockouts-but-i-feel-good/) [Wanderlei Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanderlei-silva/) > [I feel good about who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-torv/i-feel-good-about-who-i-am/) [Anna Torv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-torv/) > [As long as I can sing halfway decent, I'd rather sing than act. 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I wanted to be healthier, and that was the impetus for wanting to lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-hill/it-wasn-t-like-i-ma-lose-weight-and-start-doing-dramas-i-wanted-to-be/) [Jonah Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-hill/) > [I like pie! Pie with proper pastry and a meaty filling always works. It just makes you feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whaite/i-like-pie-pie-with-proper-pastry-and-a-meaty-filling-always-works-it/) [John Whaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-whaite/) > [What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/what-is-moral-is-what-you-feel-good-after-and-what-is-immoral-is-what/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I don't feel I'm as good a mum as my mum was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-don-t-feel-i-m-as-good-a-mum-as-my-mum-was/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [I love Muji pens. They feel good to hold, and they're my favorite pens to journal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-abrams/i-love-muji-pens-they-feel-good-to-hold-and-they-re-my-favorite-pens/) [Gracie Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-abrams/) > [I feel it is good to be nervous because you are not fully sure or over-confident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaani-kapoor/i-feel-it-is-good-to-be-nervous-because-you-are-not-fully-sure-or/) [Vaani Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaani-kapoor/) > [I don't need to be on the cover of 'Maxim.' But I want to feel good, and I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-myrin/i-don-t-need-to-be-on-the-cover-of-maxim-but-i-want-to-feel-good-and/) [Arden Myrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-myrin/) Browse all 2,333 Feel good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes you need to give people something that's for them, not just something that makes you feel good giving it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Katherine Paterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-something-that-s-for-them-not-just/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feel good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-something-that-s-for-them-not-just/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/katherine-paterson-2365_feel-good_sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-someth_1609134.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/katherine-paterson-2365_feel-good_sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-someth_1609134.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/katherine-paterson-2365_feel-good_sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-someth_1609134.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes you need to give people something that's for them, not just something that makes you feel good…” — Katherine Paterson", "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": "Katherine Paterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes you need to give people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-something-that-s-for-them-not-just/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/sometimes-you-need-to-give-people-something-that-s-for-them-not-just/#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 } } ] } ```