--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Helping others is the way we help…" description: "\"Helping others is the way we help ourselves.\" — Oprah Winfrey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/oprah-winfrey-186_help_helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-oursel_2600418.png" --- # Helping others is the way we help ourselves. ![“Helping others is the way we help ourselves.” quote by Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/oprah-winfrey-186_help_helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-oursel_2600418.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/oprah-winfrey-186_help_helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-oursel_2600418.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/oprah-winfrey-186_help_helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-oursel_2600418.png) > “Helping others is the way we help ourselves.” [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Helping others ultimately benefits oneself. **In simple terms:** Helping helps yourself. Key Takeaway Practice generosity. Themes self‑help community reciprocity Mood inspirational motivational Type self‑improvement philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - mentoring - teamwork Key Concepts psychology social capital Questions to Reflect On - How does giving improve personal well‑being? - What barriers prevent us from helping? A Different Perspective Self‑interest may motivate aid. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Helping others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping-others/) [Helping Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping-way-1939964/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-help-333722/) ## Related quotes > [“Give back. Find a way to serve in your community by helping in some way to add value, bring joy, and have a positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/give-back-find-a-way-to-serve-in-your-community-by-helping-in-some/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The only way someone can be of help to you is in challenging your ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-only-way-someone-can-be-of-help-to-you-is-in-challenging-your/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Let everything that comes your way, help you be new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/let-everything-that-comes-your-way-help-you-be-new/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [“…I see that something’s are hard to do, but that you can’t live with yourself if you don’t do them. I see that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trenton-lee-stewart/i-see-that-something-s-are-hard-to-do-but-that-you-can-t-live-with/) [Trenton Lee Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trenton-lee-stewart/) > [The only way for us to help ourselves is to help others and to listen to each other's stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-only-way-for-us-to-help-ourselves-is-to-help-others-and-to-listen/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“The best way is to understand yourself, and then you will understand everything. So when you try hard to make your own way, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-best-way-is-to-understand-yourself-and-then-you-will-understand/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [So when you try hard to make your own way, you will help others...before you make your own way you cannot help anyone, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/so-when-you-try-hard-to-make-your-own-way-you-will-help-others-before/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [But it all comes down to the way you help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevershoutnever/but-it-all-comes-down-to-the-way-you-help/) [Nevershoutnever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevershoutnever/) > [Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/sometimes-the-best-way-to-help-someone-is-just-to-be-near-them/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [The Best way to help the world is to help someone!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-smith/the-best-way-to-help-the-world-is-to-help-someone/) [John Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-smith/) > [The best way to help yourself is to help someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-walsh-anglund/the-best-way-to-help-yourself-is-to-help-someone-else/) [Joan Walsh Anglund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-walsh-anglund/) > [The best way to help those who are behind you is to heed those before you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hyles/the-best-way-to-help-those-who-are-behind-you-is-to-heed-those-before/) [Jack Hyles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hyles/) > [The best way to help the poor is not to become one of them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-way-to-help-the-poor-is-not-to-become-one-of-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You are a part of the world. You can only directly control yourself. The most surefire way to help others is to become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-a-part-of-the-world-you-can-only-directly-control-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The best way to help someone is to help them realize how they can help them self, because sometimes you might not always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/the-best-way-to-help-someone-is-to-help-them-realize-how-they-can/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) ## More by Oprah Winfrey > [I've seen that many times in rural African villages where people have nothing but a hut and a bowl. The joy in the children's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-ve-seen-that-many-times-in-rural-african-villages-where-people-have/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [These French-style caramels are handmade in California. It's always hard to give them away!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/these-french-style-caramels-are-handmade-in-california-it-s-always/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I was in a conversation and someone said: "You know, we were talking about the whole issue of transgender and how it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-was-in-a-conversation-and-someone-said-you-know-we-were-talking/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“Forgiveness is about letting go of the past and not holding on to it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/forgiveness-is-about-letting-go-of-the-past-and-not-holding-on-to-it/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [The deepest courage we can exercise is continuing to believe in our dreams until we make them come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-deepest-courage-we-can-exercise-is-continuing-to-believe-in-our/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [If you can see it, and believe it, it is a LOT easier to achieve it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/if-you-can-see-it-and-believe-it-it-is-a-lot-easier-to-achieve-it/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It's why you were born. And how you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/there-is-no-greater-gift-you-can-give-or-receive-than-to-honor-your/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Gratitude is the single greatest treasure I will take with me from this experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/gratitude-is-the-single-greatest-treasure-i-will-take-with-me-from/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I am disappointed by this controversy surrounding A Million Little Pieces because I rely on the publishers to define the category that a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-am-disappointed-by-this-controversy-surrounding-a-million-little/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Keep a grateful journal. Every night, list five things that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change our perspective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/keep-a-grateful-journal-every-night-list-five-things-that-you-are/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I want every day to be a fresh start on expanding what is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-want-every-day-to-be-a-fresh-start-on-expanding-what-is-possible/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [We often block our own blessings because we don't feel inherently good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or worthy enough... You're worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/we-often-block-our-own-blessings-because-we-don-t-feel-inherently/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [One if the hardest things in life to learn are which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/one-if-the-hardest-things-in-life-to-learn-are-which-bridges-to-cross/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [You must feed your mind with reading material, thoughts, and ideas that open you to new possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/you-must-feed-your-mind-with-reading-material-thoughts-and-ideas-that/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Your soul tells you when it's time to move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/your-soul-tells-you-when-it-s-time-to-move-on/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) [Explore all 971 Oprah Winfrey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## More Help quotes > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [As much as you want to improve or help the team, as a centre-back your job is to go under the radar and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrone-mings/as-much-as-you-want-to-improve-or-help-the-team-as-a-centre-back-your/) [Tyrone Mings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrone-mings/) > [I want to help people struggling with whatever it is they're going through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-want-to-help-people-struggling-with-whatever-it-is-they-re-going/) [Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/) > [There is a talent in dyslexia - it can help you see things creatively. So I wouldn't change a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-william-middleton/there-is-a-talent-in-dyslexia-it-can-help-you-see-things-creatively/) [James William Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-william-middleton/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [You give because you love and cannot help giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/you-give-because-you-love-and-cannot-help-giving/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [For young people in the U.K. who find themselves without anywhere to live - perhaps they have left the family home after a relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/for-young-people-in-the-u-k-who-find-themselves-without-anywhere-to/) [Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/) > [Disasters affect every state, and North Carolinians have given our own tax dollars to help neighbors and those in other states in times of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/disasters-affect-every-state-and-north-carolinians-have-given-our-own/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) > [Try to help people rather than focusing on what's in it for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/try-to-help-people-rather-than-focusing-on-what-s-in-it-for-me/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [God, help me to focus on Truth instead of the trial. Help me to give thanks instead of giving into fear. Help me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-daugherty/god-help-me-to-focus-on-truth-instead-of-the-trial-help-me-to-give/) [Whitney Daugherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-daugherty/) > [To nurture the sort of relationships that will truly help propel you towards accomplishing great things, you need to forget transactional networking and focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/to-nurture-the-sort-of-relationships-that-will-truly-help-propel-you/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [When certain stars take you under their wing, it does help as they gauge your potential and are willing to work with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/when-certain-stars-take-you-under-their-wing-it-does-help-as-they/) [Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/) > [Obviously you help your team win by producing runs. But you also help your team win by preventing runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-crawford/obviously-you-help-your-team-win-by-producing-runs-but-you-also-help/) [Brandon Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-crawford/) [Browse all 8,763 Help quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Helping others is the way we help ourselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oprah Winfrey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-ourselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Help" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-ourselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/oprah-winfrey-186_help_helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-oursel_2600418.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/oprah-winfrey-186_help_helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-oursel_2600418.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/oprah-winfrey-186_help_helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-oursel_2600418.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Helping others is the way we help ourselves.” — Oprah Winfrey", "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": "Oprah Winfrey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Helping others is the way we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-ourselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/helping-others-is-the-way-we-help-ourselves/#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 } } ] } ```