--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I embrace the concept of enlightened…" description: "\"I embrace the concept of enlightened self-interest - that in doing something for others, people also reap profound benefits for themselves. It might in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/simon-mckeon-58440_benefits_i-embrace-the-concept-of-enlightened-sel_1485572.jpg" --- # I embrace the concept of enlightened self-interest - that… ![“I embrace the concept of enlightened self-interest - that in doing something for others, people also reap profound benefits for themselves. It might involve a little bit of sacrifice and discipline, but, and this is so crucial to understand, that participation has given me back so, so much more…” quote by Simon McKeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/simon-mckeon-58440_benefits_i-embrace-the-concept-of-enlightened-sel_1485572.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/simon-mckeon-58440_benefits_i-embrace-the-concept-of-enlightened-sel_1485572.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/simon-mckeon-58440_benefits_i-embrace-the-concept-of-enlightened-sel_1485572.jpg) > “I embrace the concept of enlightened self-interest - that in doing something for others, people also reap profound benefits for themselves. It might involve a little bit of sacrifice and discipline, but, and this is so crucial to understand, that participation has given me back so, so much more than I have given it.” [Simon McKeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mckeon/) ## 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 creates reciprocal benefits, often exceeding the effort invested, through personal growth and societal goodwill. **In simple terms:** Helping others benefits yourself. Key Takeaway Give to receive more. Themes altruism self‑interest reciprocity growth Mood fulated inspired Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - Volunteer work - community projects - team collaboration - mentorship Key Concepts Social capital psychology of generosity Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure personal gain from helping? - What sacrifices are worth making for others? A Different Perspective Benefits may be delayed and not guaranteed for every act. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Concept Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concept-enlightened-5424731/) [Concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concepts/) [Crucial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crucial/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Embrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embrace/) [Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened/) [Enlightened self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened-self/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Little bit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-bit/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Participation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/participation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Reap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reap/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Sacrifice Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice-discipline-777503/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-interest/) [Understand Participation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-participation-5424732/) ## Related quotes > [We hope the world will act in the spirit of enlightened self-interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atal-bihari-vajpayee/we-hope-the-world-will-act-in-the-spirit-of-enlightened-self-interest/) [Atal Bihari Vajpayee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atal-bihari-vajpayee/) > [Self-interest is hostile to the common good, but enlightened self-interest is not. And this is the best key to the meaning of enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-bloom/self-interest-is-hostile-to-the-common-good-but-enlightened-self/) [Allan Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-bloom/) > [The new world economic order is not an exercise in philanthropy, but in enlightened self-interest for everyone concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/the-new-world-economic-order-is-not-an-exercise-in-philanthropy-but/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [Charm might be described as enlightened self-interest, a development of one's best self. ... In the simplest possible terms, I think genuine charm is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-francis/charm-might-be-described-as-enlightened-self-interest-a-development/) [Arlene Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlene-francis/) > [Sacrifice, discipline and prayer are essential. We gain strength through God's word. We receive grace from the sacrament. And when we fumble due to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/sacrifice-discipline-and-prayer-are-essential-we-gain-strength/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [“But to be the best, to reach the pinnacle, requires self-denial, sacrifice, discipline, humility, and preparation. You have to hurt yourself, scold yourself, analyze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/but-to-be-the-best-to-reach-the-pinnacle-requires-self-denial/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [My mother and father were partisan national heroes: I learned sacrifice and discipline from them and that a private life is not as important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/my-mother-and-father-were-partisan-national-heroes-i-learned/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [“You all know and lived the 'secrets' to De La Salle's success-love, brotherhood, sacrifice, discipline, heart, courage, passion, honesty. These are not just 'catch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-hayes/you-all-know-and-lived-the-secrets-to-de-la-salle-s-success-love/) [Neil Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-hayes/) > [I am very strict about what I eat. I do not consume anything that my body does not require. It takes a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-chhetri/i-am-very-strict-about-what-i-eat-i-do-not-consume-anything-that-my/) [Sunil Chhetri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-chhetri/) > [“Bondage of worldly life cannot tie us down; such is the knowledge of Vitrag (Enlightened One). Our ‘Self’ is such that it can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/bondage-of-worldly-life-cannot-tie-us-down-such-is-the-knowledge-of/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Before enlightenment I believed my ego was me, then enlightenment comes along and no more ego, only the underlying reality. Now it’s after enlightenment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/before-enlightenment-i-believed-my-ego-was-me-then-enlightenment/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [The sky speaks to you if you will let it. Every day it delivers a message that each person hears in a uniquely different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/the-sky-speaks-to-you-if-you-will-let-it-every-day-it-delivers-a/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [“An organization that commits itself to the human-centered tenets of design thinking is practicing enlightened self-interest. If it does a better job of understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-brown/an-organization-that-commits-itself-to-the-human-centered-tenets-of/) [Tim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-brown/) > [“If men were rational, they would take a more correct view of their own interest than they do at present; and if all men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-men-were-rational-they-would-take-a-more-correct-view-of-their-own/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“There are two types of purushartha (self effort): those with wrong beliefs have self effort (purusharth) with illusory vision and the enlightened one’s have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/there-are-two-types-of-purushartha-self-effort-those-with-wrong/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) ## More by Simon McKeon > [Investing intelligently in those of us who are marginalised means fewer people in jail, fewer homeless, fewer unemployed, fewer of us who are forlorn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mckeon/investing-intelligently-in-those-of-us-who-are-marginalised-means/) [Simon McKeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mckeon/) > [If your body is crying out for a change, or crying out that it's unhappy, for goodness sake listen to it. Our bodies aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mckeon/if-your-body-is-crying-out-for-a-change-or-crying-out-that-it-s/) [Simon McKeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mckeon/) > [I am confident there is a cause for everyone. Think of how you can contribute; we all have different skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mckeon/i-am-confident-there-is-a-cause-for-everyone-think-of-how-you-can/) [Simon McKeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mckeon/) > [I need a dose of the natural environment on a regular basis. It balances the bitumen and high rises of Collins Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mckeon/i-need-a-dose-of-the-natural-environment-on-a-regular-basis-it/) [Simon McKeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mckeon/) [Explore all 5 Simon McKeon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mckeon/) ## More Benefits quotes > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-think-of-education-as-the-means-of-developing-our-greatest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. That issue related to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/i-won-the-seat-of-oxley-largely-on-an-issue-that-has-resulted-in-me/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) > [Intelligence is a separate gift, for the benefit of students, so that they may think of themselves as intellectual and not very intelligent, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/intelligence-is-a-separate-gift-for-the-benefit-of-students-so-that/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I've always said that I benefit, as an actor, from not having the illusion of security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-ve-always-said-that-i-benefit-as-an-actor-from-not-having-the/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [Benefits received are a delight to us as long as we think we can requite them; when that possibility is far exceeded, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/benefits-received-are-a-delight-to-us-as-long-as-we-think-we-can/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) [Browse all 3,616 Benefits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I embrace the concept of enlightened self-interest - that in doing something for others, people also reap profound benefits for themselves. 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