--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Altruism accrues little benefit to those…" description: "\"Altruism accrues little benefit to those lying cold in the gutter.\" — Raymond E. Feist" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/raymond-e-feist-6614_altruism_altruism-accrues-little-benefit-to-those_1890265.jpg" --- # Altruism accrues little benefit to those lying cold in the… ![“Altruism accrues little benefit to those lying cold in the gutter.” quote by Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/raymond-e-feist-6614_altruism_altruism-accrues-little-benefit-to-those_1890265.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/raymond-e-feist-6614_altruism_altruism-accrues-little-benefit-to-those_1890265.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/raymond-e-feist-6614_altruism_altruism-accrues-little-benefit-to-those_1890265.jpg) > “Altruism accrues little benefit to those lying cold in the gutter.” [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Altruism often yields minimal personal gain for those in dire circumstances. **In simple terms:** Helping others may not bring direct benefit to the needy. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of altruism. Themes ethics social responsibility poverty Mood reflective critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - charitable work - community aid - policy design Key Concepts reciprocity social capital Questions to Reflect On - How can we make aid more effective? - When does self‑sacrifice become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Altruism can be exploited or ineffective without systemic change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Altruism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altruism/) [Altruism Accrues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altruism-accrues-2725970/) [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold Gutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-gutter-2725969/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Gutters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gutters/) [Little Benefit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-benefit-670918/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Lying Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying-cold-1553228/) ## Related quotes > [You told me you loved me so why did you go? if you really meant it I wouldn't be lying in the cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keys/you-told-me-you-loved-me-so-why-did-you-go-if-you-really-meant-it-i/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keys/) > [“Wow!” gasped Julia. They saw 20 or more young children of every sort lying on the cold, bare ground.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magda-m-olchawska/wow-gasped-julia-they-saw-20-or-more-young-children-of-every-sort/) [Magda M. Olchawska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magda-m-olchawska/) > [“Altogether, I had derived little benefit from being in Balbec, for which reason I was all the more determined to come back one day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/altogether-i-had-derived-little-benefit-from-being-in-balbec-for/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“Empirical" knowledge itself is of little benefit unless it awakens the inner perception of man as to his own situation, his potentialities, his risks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fazlur-rahman/empirical-knowledge-itself-is-of-little-benefit-unless-it-awakens-the/) [Fazlur Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fazlur-rahman/) > [But because many endeavor to get knowledge rather than to live well, they are often deceived and reap little or no benefit from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-because-many-endeavor-to-get-knowledge-rather-than-to-live-well/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The distance between the limousine and the gutter is a short one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/the-distance-between-the-limousine-and-the-gutter-is-a-short-one/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [Now it has appeared to me unfair that humanity should be engaged perpetually in calling all those things bad which have been good enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/now-it-has-appeared-to-me-unfair-that-humanity-should-be-engaged/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Morality and religion are but words to him who fishes in gutters for the means of sustaining life, and crouches behind barrels in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-greeley/morality-and-religion-are-but-words-to-him-who-fishes-in-gutters-for/) [Horace Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-greeley/) > [The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles. Darkness gathers. The demons begin to stir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-candle-flame-gutters-its-little-pool-of-light-trembles-darkness/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The middle of the road is all of the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/the-middle-of-the-road-is-all-of-the-usable-surface-the-extremes/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [As an actor, you always have to reinvent yourself or you end up in the gutter somewhere. It's my job to always change people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/as-an-actor-you-always-have-to-reinvent-yourself-or-you-end-up-in-the/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [Have you dared to eat my son?" I laughed. Actually, it started out as more of a giggle that grew. Because my mind went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rardin/have-you-dared-to-eat-my-son-i-laughed-actually-it-started-out-as/) [Jennifer Rardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rardin/) > [You have the American dream! The dream is to be born in a gutter and grow up, and then get all the money in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/you-have-the-american-dream-the-dream-is-to-be-born-in-a-gutter-and/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [The dog writhing in the gutter, its back broken by a passing car, knows what it is to be alive. So too with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-greenstein/the-dog-writhing-in-the-gutter-its-back-broken-by-a-passing-car-knows/) [George Greenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-greenstein/) > [Your relationships will either make you or break you and there is no such thing as a neutral relationship. People either inspire you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/your-relationships-will-either-make-you-or-break-you-and-there-is-no/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) ## More by Raymond E. Feist > [Often I'll try things that just won't happen the way I'd like them to, so hearing that they're not working saves me some wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/often-i-ll-try-things-that-just-won-t-happen-the-way-i-d-like-them-to/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [A hero is someone who simply got too frightened to use his good sense and run away, then somehow lived through it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/a-hero-is-someone-who-simply-got-too-frightened-to-use-his-good-sense/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“My father used to say, “a day spent breathing is a good day”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/my-father-used-to-say-a-day-spent-breathing-is-a-good-day/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“Knowing what things are not is often as important as knowing what they are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/knowing-what-things-are-not-is-often-as-important-as-knowing-what/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [You would do well to know, Marcus, that irritating a better swordsman than yourself is a good way to end up dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/you-would-do-well-to-know-marcus-that-irritating-a-better-swordsman/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“Kings and marshals can look back and relive their triumphs, their great victories. We common folk must take what pleasure we can from life's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/kings-and-marshals-can-look-back-and-relive-their-triumphs-their/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I feel when a writer treats a character as 'precious,' the writer runs the risk of turning them into a comic book character. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-feel-when-a-writer-treats-a-character-as-precious-the-writer-runs/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“All right, me darlings. You heard the Captain. Look around and tell ol'Biggo what you thieving rascals grabbed when you ran for your lives!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/all-right-me-darlings-you-heard-the-captain-look-around-and-tell-ol/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [Writing is hard work; it's also the best job I've ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/writing-is-hard-work-it-s-also-the-best-job-i-ve-ever-had/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [If I leave my computer, I'm probably not going to get back for hours. If I take a few minutes to answer questions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/if-i-leave-my-computer-i-m-probably-not-going-to-get-back-for-hours/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I keep threatening to write a non-fantasy book, and they keep offering me the kind of money I can't refuse to write a fantasy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-keep-threatening-to-write-a-non-fantasy-book-and-they-keep-offering/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I don't like fantasy where a king snaps his fingers and suddenly a whole army appears and goes off to war - he's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-don-t-like-fantasy-where-a-king-snaps-his-fingers-and-suddenly-a/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I know you'll think this odd, but I find it strangely exhilarating not knowing what's coming next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-know-you-ll-think-this-odd-but-i-find-it-strangely-exhilarating-not/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I don't write fantasy; I write historical novels about an imaginary place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-don-t-write-fantasy-i-write-historical-novels-about-an-imaginary/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [ATLANTA NIGHTS is sure to please the reader who enjoys this sort of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/atlanta-nights-is-sure-to-please-the-reader-who-enjoys-this-sort-of/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) [Explore all 98 Raymond E. Feist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) ## More Altruism quotes > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“...True classical dropouts in society are those who avoid difficult challenges and cling to the first opportunity that comes their way. They never test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/true-classical-dropouts-in-society-are-those-who-avoid-difficult/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“Take a stand that reflects the widest horizons of your soul if you don’t want to be a slave to external powers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/take-a-stand-that-reflects-the-widest-horizons-of-your-soul-if-you/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [One of the great issues in biology is the origin of altruism - of why you would do something for someone else that could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/one-of-the-great-issues-in-biology-is-the-origin-of-altruism-of-why/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/how-selfish-soever-man-may-be-supposed-there-are-evidently-some/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [Restoration ecology is experimental science, a science of love and altruism. In its attempts to reverse the processes of ecosystem degradation it runs exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-mills/restoration-ecology-is-experimental-science-a-science-of-love-and/) [Stephanie Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-mills/) > [“...of all the nonsense that twists the world, the concept of 'altruism' is the worst. People do what they want to do, every time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/of-all-the-nonsense-that-twists-the-world-the-concept-of-altruism-is/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Only a fool would find happiness from an achievement that is detrimental to those he loves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/only-a-fool-would-find-happiness-from-an-achievement-that-is/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [Never insult an alligator until after you have crossed the river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cordell-hull/never-insult-an-alligator-until-after-you-have-crossed-the-river/) [Cordell Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cordell-hull/) > [“…the purpose of life is to nurture joy, which involves those aspects of humanity that enrich the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/the-purpose-of-life-is-to-nurture-joy-which-involves-those-aspects-of/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“Whatever they say about it, but being altruistic is not so simple for everyone. Not to look and sound like despotism, altruism must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-biyuts/whatever-they-say-about-it-but-being-altruistic-is-not-so-simple-for/) [Lara Biyuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-biyuts/) > [Effective altruism is the form of altruism in which we bring our rational capacities to bear in order to do the most good that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altruism-in-which-we-bring-our/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“Societies and people that come close to being happy are those that do well in narrowing the disparity between their desires and their needs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/societies-and-people-that-come-close-to-being-happy-are-those-that-do/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“Most of the truly kind people of this world show some measure of discomfort when offered kindness. Their gratitude stems not only from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/most-of-the-truly-kind-people-of-this-world-show-some-measure-of/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) [Browse all 419 Altruism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altruism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Altruism accrues little benefit to those lying cold in the gutter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Raymond E. 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