--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Goodness is not its own reward in this…" description: "\"“Goodness is not its own reward in this world. Those who help are sometimes destroyed first”\" — Susan Fromberg Schaeffer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d3/susan-fromberg-schaeffer-51596_quote_goodness-is-not-its-own-reward-in-this-w_1969571.jpg" --- # Goodness is not its own reward in this world. Those who… ![“Goodness is not its own reward in this world. Those who help are sometimes destroyed first” quote by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d3/susan-fromberg-schaeffer-51596_quote_goodness-is-not-its-own-reward-in-this-w_1969571.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d3/susan-fromberg-schaeffer-51596_quote_goodness-is-not-its-own-reward-in-this-w_1969571.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d3/susan-fromberg-schaeffer-51596_quote_goodness-is-not-its-own-reward-in-this-w_1969571.jpg) > ““Goodness is not its own reward in this world. Those who help are sometimes destroyed first”” [Susan Fromberg Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/) ## 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 may lead to personal sacrifice rather than guaranteed reward. **In simple terms:** Helping can be costly. Key Takeaway Help wisely, protect yourself. Themes selflessness risk altruism Mood cautious empathetic Type ethical reflective When to use this quote - volunteering - caregiving - social work - activism Key Concepts ethics psychology Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt drained after helping? - How can you balance aid with self-care? A Different Perspective Good deeds can be exploited or cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward/) ## Related quotes > [“On Virtue - Goodness is its own reward. It has to be; nothing else rewards it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-hinds/on-virtue-goodness-is-its-own-reward-it-has-to-be-nothing-else/) [Marsha Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-hinds/) > [If goodness is its own reward, shouldn't we get a little something for being naughty?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/if-goodness-is-its-own-reward-shouldn-t-we-get-a-little-something-for/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [We will work side by side with all the nations of the free world to help build a better world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/we-will-work-side-by-side-with-all-the-nations-of-the-free-world-to/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [Together, we can make a change in the world. Together we can help to stop racism. Together we can help to stop prejudice. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/together-we-can-make-a-change-in-the-world-together-we-can-help-to/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [For our international projects we developed an online skilled volunteer job board to help connect skilled individuals around the world who can help with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-batstone/for-our-international-projects-we-developed-an-online-skilled/) [David Batstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-batstone/) > [Remember: You are the only human being in the world who can help this particular customer at this particular moment in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/remember-you-are-the-only-human-being-in-the-world-who-can-help-this/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I learned that I can't save the world, but I can help a child at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afeni-shakur/i-learned-that-i-can-t-save-the-world-but-i-can-help-a-child-at-a-time/) [Afeni Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afeni-shakur/) > [“when you set out in the world to help yourself,sometimes you end up helping Tutti.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/when-you-set-out-in-the-world-to-help-yourself-sometimes-you-end-up/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [In this world we must help one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/in-this-world-we-must-help-one-another/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [I'm not going to change the world. You're not going to change the world. But we can help - we can all help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiano-ronaldo/i-m-not-going-to-change-the-world-you-re-not-going-to-change-the/) [Cristiano Ronaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiano-ronaldo/) > [Together we can make a change of the world. Together we can help to stop racism. Together we can help to stop prejudice. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/together-we-can-make-a-change-of-the-world-together-we-can-help-to/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [I have a huge heart for Haiti and will tell the world how we can help!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-munck/i-have-a-huge-heart-for-haiti-and-will-tell-the-world-how-we-can-help/) Noah Munck > [“When your turn comes to jump into the Nothing, you too will be a nameless servant of power, with no will of your own.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/when-your-turn-comes-to-jump-into-the-nothing-you-too-will-be-a-2/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/ours-is-not-the-task-of-fixing-the-entire-world-all-at-once-but-of/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [Many are the strange chances of the world, and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/many-are-the-strange-chances-of-the-world-and-help-oft-shall-come/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) ## More by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer > [When the mind is most empty It is most full.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/when-the-mind-is-most-empty-it-is-most-full/) [Susan Fromberg Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/) > [“Words got me into trouble. They are the deadliest weapons of all, so that now the gun seems almost innocent by comparison. I fired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/words-got-me-into-trouble-they-are-the-deadliest-weapons-of-all-so/) [Susan Fromberg Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/) > [“You and I are very strong, and so is your Poppa, but you're not so strong as a brick. When things happen, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/you-and-i-are-very-strong-and-so-is-your-poppa-but-you-re-not-so/) [Susan Fromberg Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/) > [“You never know how a story ends until you read the last page”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/you-never-know-how-a-story-ends-until-you-read-the-last-page/) [Susan Fromberg Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/) > [All our loves are first loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/all-our-loves-are-first-loves/) [Susan Fromberg Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/) > [Probably writers should forget what it was like to write the last novel, and the one before that, and the one before that, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/probably-writers-should-forget-what-it-was-like-to-write-the-last/) [Susan Fromberg Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/) [Explore all 7 Susan Fromberg Schaeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fromberg-schaeffer/) ## More Goodness quotes > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) Daniel K Judd > [Love reacts with goodness towards those who ill-treat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/love-reacts-with-goodness-towards-those-who-ill-treat-it/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [One may not doubt that, somehow Good Shall come of Water and of Mud; And sure, the reverent eye must see A purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/one-may-not-doubt-that-somehow-good-shall-come-of-water-and-of-mud/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [the path of goodness had a name it is called Love in it we find the key to every hope and has it's root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-path-of-goodness-had-a-name-it-is-called-love-in-it-we-find-the/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [To make one good action succeed another, is the perfection of goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/to-make-one-good-action-succeed-another-is-the-perfection-of-goodness/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [The living can't quit living because the world has turned terrible and people they love and need are killed. They can't because they don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-living-can-t-quit-living-because-the-world-has-turned-terrible/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [A good man therefore is a standing lesson to us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-good-man-therefore-is-a-standing-lesson-to-us-all/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/and-if-thy-heart-be-straight-with-god-then-every-creature-shall-be-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“Sometimes resilience arrives in the moment you discover your own unshakeable goodness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-boyle/sometimes-resilience-arrives-in-the-moment-you-discover-your-own/) [Gregory Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-boyle/) > [What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/what-is-sin-it-is-the-glory-of-god-not-honored-the-holiness-of-god/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) [Browse all 3,129 Goodness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Goodness is not its own reward in this world. 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