--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who lives only to benefit himself…" description: "\"He who lives only to benefit himself confers on he world a benefit when he dies.\" — Terullian" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/terullian-282116_self-centered_he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-con_1113750.jpg" --- # He who lives only to benefit himself confers on he world a… ![“He who lives only to benefit himself confers on he world a benefit when he dies.” quote by Terullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/terullian-282116_self-centered_he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-con_1113750.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/terullian-282116_self-centered_he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-con_1113750.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/terullian-282116_self-centered_he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-con_1113750.jpg) > “He who lives only to benefit himself confers on he world a benefit when he dies.” Terullian ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A self‑centered life may seem selfish, but its end can unintentionally benefit others after death. **In simple terms:** Selfishness can yield unexpected post‑mortem benefits. Key Takeaway Consider the lasting impact of your actions. Themes ethics legacy selfishness benefit death Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal reflection - philosophical writing - public discourse - memorials - life coaching Key Concepts altruism legacy thinking posthumous impact Questions to Reflect On - How does personal sacrifice affect future generations? - Can selfish motives ever be justified? A Different Perspective The benefit of personal gain may be limited; the true benefit emerges after death. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benefit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit/) [Self centered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-centered/) ## Related quotes > [He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-confers-on-the-world-a-benefit/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Most people are only in our lives for THEIR benefit, as soon as your role is done, they move on to someone else like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-people-are-only-in-our-lives-for-their-benefit-as-soon-as-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most of the people are only in our lives for THEIR benefit, as soon as your role is done, they move on to someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-of-the-people-are-only-in-our-lives-for-their-benefit-as-soon-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As the Indian economy adds strength to our region and the world, it will also benefit Mongolia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/as-the-indian-economy-adds-strength-to-our-region-and-the-world-it/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [It's been great to play against the top teams in the world, it can only benefit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-longstaff/it-s-been-great-to-play-against-the-top-teams-in-the-world-it-can/) [Sean Longstaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-longstaff/) > [I feel that the whole Western World will benefit by the resurrection of the neutron bomb project.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-feel-that-the-whole-western-world-will-benefit-by-the-resurrection/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Whatever you do in this world, is for the benefit of the next world.. So, whatever the problems come face it like a game.. ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nushra/whatever-you-do-in-this-world-is-for-the-benefit-of-the-next-world-so/) [Nushra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nushra/) > [“When great men die in the race of life, they continue to live because the world can still benefit from their products.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-great-men-die-in-the-race-of-life-they-continue-to-live-because/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“The world should benefit from our spiritual growth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-nation/the-world-should-benefit-from-our-spiritual-growth/) Philip Nation > [“I tried to think and hope for the best, but it didn’t change who I was. It didn’t change my core, my desires, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/i-tried-to-think-and-hope-for-the-best-but-it-didn-t-change-who-i-was/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [I unconsciously decided that, even if it wasn't an ideal world, it should be. So I painted only the ideal aspects of it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-rockwell/i-unconsciously-decided-that-even-if-it-wasn-t-an-ideal-world-it/) [Norman Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-rockwell/) > [The secret of achieving prosperity lies in so vividly keeping yourself centered in the inner focus of affluence that you literally exude the consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/the-secret-of-achieving-prosperity-lies-in-so-vividly-keeping/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [“Simon Stimson: "...That's what it was to be alive. To move about in a cloud of ignorance; to go up and down trampling on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/simon-stimson-that-s-what-it-was-to-be-alive-to-move-about-in-a-cloud/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“The rich eat life, the poor eat death; so what is the problem they ask?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-rich-eat-life-the-poor-eat-death-so-what-is-the-problem-they-ask/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) ## More Benefit quotes > [Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization. I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [It's not always to the benefit of the story to have it so preordained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-woodrell/it-s-not-always-to-the-benefit-of-the-story-to-have-it-so-preordained/) [Daniel Woodrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-woodrell/) > [I'm less concerned about whether being a good corporate citizen burnishes a company's reputation. That's just an added benefit. I believe it's a responsibility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/i-m-less-concerned-about-whether-being-a-good-corporate-citizen/) [Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/) > [The benefit of living in a free society is that we all have the choice to be rich, poor, or middle class. The decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-benefit-of-living-in-a-free-society-is-that-we-all-have-the/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [For us, my wife and I and all of my partners believe that corporations have to be corporate citizens, and individuals who benefit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walter/for-us-my-wife-and-i-and-all-of-my-partners-believe-that-corporations/) [Mark Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walter/) > [The benefit to building a startup is that customers don't have the same kind of friction when they adopt new technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-levie/the-benefit-to-building-a-startup-is-that-customers-don-t-have-the/) [Aaron Levie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-levie/) > [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing is so good that impious and sacrilegious and wicked people cannot contort its proper benefit into evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giordano-bruno/nothing-is-so-good-that-impious-and-sacrilegious-and-wicked-people/) [Giordano Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giordano-bruno/) > [“Everything I think I’m doing for my own benefit has some incidental evolutionary advantage!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-hamantaschen/everything-i-think-i-m-doing-for-my-own-benefit-has-some-incidental/) J.R. Hamantaschen > [The true principle of taxation is the benefit principle - those who benefit from a government service should pay for it. It's also known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/the-true-principle-of-taxation-is-the-benefit-principle-those-who/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) > [Dance keeps me fit! It's been a huge benefit in my life and it will forever be a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-holker/dance-keeps-me-fit-it-s-been-a-huge-benefit-in-my-life-and-it-will/) [Allison Holker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-holker/) > [Many people do not realize that where unions have bargaining rights employers cannot raise wages or improve benefit plans any more than they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-e-wilson/many-people-do-not-realize-that-where-unions-have-bargaining-rights/) [Charles E. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-e-wilson/) > [To use for our exclusive benefit what is not ours is theft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/to-use-for-our-exclusive-benefit-what-is-not-ours-is-theft/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [There is almost no topic that can't benefit from being talked about in a humorous way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-parris/there-is-almost-no-topic-that-can-t-benefit-from-being-talked-about/) [Rachel Parris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-parris/) [Browse all 533 Benefit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He who lives only to benefit himself confers on he world a benefit when he dies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terullian" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terullian/he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-confers-on-he-world-a-benefit/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Benefit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terullian/he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-confers-on-he-world-a-benefit/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/terullian-282116_self-centered_he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-con_1113750.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/terullian-282116_self-centered_he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-con_1113750.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/terullian-282116_self-centered_he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-con_1113750.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He who lives only to benefit himself confers on he world a benefit when he dies.” — Terullian", "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": "Terullian", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terullian/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He who lives only to benefit...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terullian/he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-confers-on-he-world-a-benefit/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terullian/he-who-lives-only-to-benefit-himself-confers-on-he-world-a-benefit/#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 } } ] } ```