--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is what happens when you try to help…" description: "\"This is what happens when you try to help people. You get screwed.\" — Lauren Oliver" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/lauren-oliver-109_before-i-fall_this-is-what-happens-when-you-try-to-hel_5449.png" --- # This is what happens when you try to help people. You get… ![“This is what happens when you try to help people. You get screwed.” quote by Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/lauren-oliver-109_before-i-fall_this-is-what-happens-when-you-try-to-hel_5449.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/lauren-oliver-109_before-i-fall_this-is-what-happens-when-you-try-to-hel_5449.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/lauren-oliver-109_before-i-fall_this-is-what-happens-when-you-try-to-hel_5449.png) > “This is what happens when you try to help people. You get screwed.” [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It conveys the cynical view that altruistic intentions often lead to personal exploitation, warning that helping others can expose one to manipulation. **In simple terms:** Helping can backfire. Key Takeaway Beware of being taken advantage of. Themes cynicism altruism exploitation trust social dynamics Mood skeptical cautious Type maxim cautionary When to use this quote - volunteer work - team projects - family support Key Concepts motivation risk of generosity Practical Applications - boundary setting - risk mitigation Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can protect well‑meaning actions? - Is the risk worth the potential reward? A Different Perspective Many find fulfillment and reciprocity in genuine assistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Before i fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before-i-fall/) [Happens Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens-try-302997/) [Help people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-people/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Screwed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-screwed-302995/) [Screwed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screwed/) [Try Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-help/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [We don't have to convince people how screwed they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/we-don-t-have-to-convince-people-how-screwed-they-are/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [People are screwed up in this world. I'd rather be with someone screwed up and open about it than somebody perfect and ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-vizzini/people-are-screwed-up-in-this-world-i-d-rather-be-with-someone-2/) [Ned Vizzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-vizzini/) > [Did Alan Moore get screwed on his contract? Of course. Lots of people get screwed, but we still have Spider-Man and lots of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/did-alan-moore-get-screwed-on-his-contract-of-course-lots-of-people/) [J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/) > [“People are screwed up in this world. I'd rather be with someone screwed and open about it than somebody perfect and...you know... ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-vizzini-it-s-kind-of-a-funny-story/people-are-screwed-up-in-this-world-i-d-rather-be-with-someone/) [Ned Vizzini It's kind of a Funny Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-vizzini-it-s-kind-of-a-funny-story/) > [Hope keeps you alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/hope-keeps-you-alive/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“She said that the reason you can never go home again - we were studying a list of famous quotes and discussing their meaning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/she-said-that-the-reason-you-can-never-go-home-again-we-were-studying/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [i think of all the thousands of billions of steps and missteps and chances and coincidences that have brought me here. Brought you here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-think-of-all-the-thousands-of-billions-of-steps-and-missteps-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [How is it possible, I think, to change so much and not be able to change anything at all?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/how-is-it-possible-i-think-to-change-so-much-and-not-be-able-to/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [It's not my fault I can't be like you, okay? I don't get up in the morning thinking the world is one big, shiny,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-not-my-fault-i-can-t-be-like-you-okay-i-don-t-get-up-in-the/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“But before you start pointing fingers, let me ask you: is what I did really so bad? So bad I deserved to die? So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/but-before-you-start-pointing-fingers-let-me-ask-you-is-what-i-did/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I guess that's what saying good-bye is always like--like jumping off an edge. The worst part is making the choice to do it. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-guess-that-s-what-saying-good-bye-is-always-like-like-jumping-off/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“It’s weird how much people change... It’s kind of sad, if you think about it. Like there’s no continuity in people at all. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-weird-how-much-people-change-it-s-kind-of-sad-if-you-think-about/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Here's one of the things I learned that morning: if you cross a line and nothing happens, the line loses meaning. It's like that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/here-s-one-of-the-things-i-learned-that-morning-if-you-cross-a-line/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [It's funny, isn't it? When you are young you just want to be old, and then later you wish you could go back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-funny-isn-t-it-when-you-are-young-you-just-want-to-be-old-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I used to think that's what love was: knowing someone so well he was like a part of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-used-to-think-that-s-what-love-was-knowing-someone-so-well-he-was/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) ## More by Lauren Oliver > [“My aunt Carol hasn’t heard her say a word in the whole six years and three months of Grace’s life—not a single syllable. Carol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/my-aunt-carol-hasn-t-heard-her-say-a-word-in-the-whole-six-years-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [We'll walk together holding hands, and kiss in broad daylight, and love each other as much as we want to, and no one will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/we-ll-walk-together-holding-hands-and-kiss-in-broad-daylight-and-love/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“At least when I'm sleeping I can dream myself back to Alex, can dream myself into a different world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/at-least-when-i-m-sleeping-i-can-dream-myself-back-to-alex-can-dream/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Summer explodes into Portland. In early June the heat was there but not the color--the green were still pale and tentative, the morning had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/summer-explodes-into-portland-in-early-june-the-heat-was-there-but/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Mistake, mistake, mistake. A strange word: stinging, somehow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/mistake-mistake-mistake-a-strange-word-stinging-somehow/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I wonder if it's ever really possible to know the truth about someone else, or if the best we can do is just stumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-wonder-if-it-s-ever-really-possible-to-know-the-truth-about-someone/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Julian is somewhere among those lights, in that blur of people and buildings. I wonder whether he's scared. I wonder whether he's thinking of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/julian-is-somewhere-among-those-lights-in-that-blur-of-people-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [A room full of words that are nearly the truth but not quite, each note fluttering off the steam of its rose like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/a-room-full-of-words-that-are-nearly-the-truth-but-not-quite-each/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“She’s the kind of person who makes you feel drunk just by being around her, like suddenly the world’s edges are dulled and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/she-s-the-kind-of-person-who-makes-you-feel-drunk-just-by-being/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Stop!” His voice rings out sharply, hard as a slap. He releases me and I stumble backward. “Alex is dead, do you hear me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/stop-his-voice-rings-out-sharply-hard-as-a-slap-he-releases-me-and-i/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [..in that moment i realize how much i love the little everyday routines of my life..the details that are my life's special pattern, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/in-that-moment-i-realize-how-much-i-love-the-little-everyday-routines/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“You can't judge a book by its steel-toed combat boots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/you-can-t-judge-a-book-by-its-steel-toed-combat-boots/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“I wish I could close my eyes and be blown into dust and nothingness, feel all my thoughts disperse like dandelion fluff drifting off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-wish-i-could-close-my-eyes-and-be-blown-into-dust-and-nothingness/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) [Explore all 1,181 Lauren Oliver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) ## More Before i fall quotes > [I want to show my range before I fall into any typecasting. I've turned down a lot of things trying to wait. But at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-garity/i-want-to-show-my-range-before-i-fall-into-any-typecasting-i-ve/) [Troy Garity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-garity/) > [You either have chemistry or you don't, but a lot of what attracts me is a guy's mind and humor and talent. I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-dobrev/you-either-have-chemistry-or-you-don-t-but-a-lot-of-what-attracts-me/) [Nina Dobrev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-dobrev/) > [“She said that the reason you can never go home again - we were studying a list of famous quotes and discussing their meaning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/she-said-that-the-reason-you-can-never-go-home-again-we-were-studying/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“It’s weird how much people change... It’s kind of sad, if you think about it. Like there’s no continuity in people at all. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-weird-how-much-people-change-it-s-kind-of-sad-if-you-think-about/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Hope keeps you alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/hope-keeps-you-alive/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [It's funny, isn't it? When you are young you just want to be old, and then later you wish you could go back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-funny-isn-t-it-when-you-are-young-you-just-want-to-be-old-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Here's one of the things I learned that morning: if you cross a line and nothing happens, the line loses meaning. It's like that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/here-s-one-of-the-things-i-learned-that-morning-if-you-cross-a-line/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I used to think that's what love was: knowing someone so well he was like a part of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-used-to-think-that-s-what-love-was-knowing-someone-so-well-he-was/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I guess that's what saying good-bye is always like--like jumping off an edge. The worst part is making the choice to do it. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-guess-that-s-what-saying-good-bye-is-always-like-like-jumping-off/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“But before you start pointing fingers, let me ask you: is what I did really so bad? So bad I deserved to die? So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/but-before-you-start-pointing-fingers-let-me-ask-you-is-what-i-did/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [It's not my fault I can't be like you, okay? I don't get up in the morning thinking the world is one big, shiny,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-not-my-fault-i-can-t-be-like-you-okay-i-don-t-get-up-in-the/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [How is it possible, I think, to change so much and not be able to change anything at all?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/how-is-it-possible-i-think-to-change-so-much-and-not-be-able-to/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Putting my hand in someone else’s has always been my definition of happiness. Before I fall asleep, often - in that small struggle not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/putting-my-hand-in-someone-else-s-has-always-been-my-definition-of/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [i think of all the thousands of billions of steps and missteps and chances and coincidences that have brought me here. Brought you here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-think-of-all-the-thousands-of-billions-of-steps-and-missteps-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [If singing were a feeling it would be this, this light, this lifting, like laughing...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/if-singing-were-a-feeling-it-would-be-this-this-light-this-lifting/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) [Browse all 16 Before i fall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before-i-fall/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is what happens when you try to help people. 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