--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be ashamed to die until you have done…" description: "\"Be ashamed to die until you have done something good for mankind.\" — Vernon Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/vernon-johnson-91252_ashamed_be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-so_1294059.jpg" --- # Be ashamed to die until you have done something good for… ![“Be ashamed to die until you have done something good for mankind.” quote by Vernon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/vernon-johnson-91252_ashamed_be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-so_1294059.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/vernon-johnson-91252_ashamed_be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-so_1294059.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/vernon-johnson-91252_ashamed_be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-so_1294059.jpg) > “Be ashamed to die until you have done something good for mankind.” [Vernon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One should not die without having contributed positively to humanity, urging a life of purpose. **In simple terms:** Live a life that benefits others. Key Takeaway Strive to leave a positive legacy. Themes purpose legacy humanity Mood inspirational determined Type moral advice When to use this quote - career planning - volunteering - public speaking Key Concepts service ethical living Questions to Reflect On - What good can you do today? - How do you define a meaningful life? A Different Perspective Not everyone can achieve great deeds; small acts matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Ashamed Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed-die-326479/) [Die Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die-good-701647/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Good Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-mankind-527499/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) ## Related quotes > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you've made some contribution to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johns/you-should-avoid-hedging-at-least-that-s-what-i-think-you-should-be/) [Vernon Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-johns/) > [So, in the infinitely nobler battle in which you are engaged against error and wrong, if ever repulsed or stricken down, may you always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/so-in-the-infinitely-nobler-battle-in-which-you-are-engaged-against/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I beseech you to treasure up in your hearts these my parting words: Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/i-beseech-you-to-treasure-up-in-your-hearts-these-my-parting-words-be/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Be ashamed to die until you have won a victory for mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-won-a-victory-for-mankind/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-won-some-victory-for-humanity/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-won-some-victory-for-mankind/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [“Until you have done something for humanity,” wrote the great American educator Horace Mann, “you should be ashamed to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/until-you-have-done-something-for-humanity-wrote-the-great-american/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Humanity can do better ...if we put our differences a side and diligently work together for the good of all mankind. What a powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/humanity-can-do-better-if-we-put-our-differences-a-side-and/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [It's in no way my interest (according to the common acceptance of that word) to convince the world of their errors; that is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/it-s-in-no-way-my-interest-according-to-the-common-acceptance-of-that/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [We fight in honourable fashion for the good of mankind; fearless of the future, unheeding of our individual fates, with unflinching hearts and undimmed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/we-fight-in-honourable-fashion-for-the-good-of-mankind-fearless-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There is scarce any one invention, which this nation has produced in our age, but it has some way or other been set forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hooke/there-is-scarce-any-one-invention-which-this-nation-has-produced-in/) [Robert Hooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hooke/) > [Make every day of your life count...live peacefully, happily and successfully by reading the right materials, meeting the right people and doing utmost good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-idakwo/make-every-day-of-your-life-count-live-peacefully-happily-and/) [Isaac Idakwo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-idakwo/) > [I take it that the good of mankind means the attainment, by every man, of all the happiness which he can enjoy without diminishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/i-take-it-that-the-good-of-mankind-means-the-attainment-by-every-man/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [I think theres a lot to be said about just enjoying your work. It can be very contrived when people say their work is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/i-think-theres-a-lot-to-be-said-about-just-enjoying-your-work-it-can/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“ I often think I should just abandon the whole thing. I really do. Time travel could be a gift to humanity. Whoever controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-often-think-i-should-just-abandon-the-whole-thing-i-really-do-time/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) ## More by Vernon Johnson > [It is a myth that alcoholics have some spontaneous insight and then seek treatment. Victims of this disease do not submit to treatment out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johnson/it-is-a-myth-that-alcoholics-have-some-spontaneous-insight-and-then/) [Vernon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-johnson/) [Explore all 2 Vernon Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-johnson/) ## More Ashamed quotes > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) [Robert Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-preston/) > [You never meet the writer when you're making a TV movie in America - they're too ashamed to show up and see how their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/you-never-meet-the-writer-when-you-re-making-a-tv-movie-in-america/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“with her own life. And I was ashamed.” Humiliated. Broken. Miserable. If Wilcher had stood by Jaymee, if her father hadn’t berated her, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-green/with-her-own-life-and-i-was-ashamed-humiliated-broken-miserable-if/) [Stacy Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-green/) > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you've made some contribution to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johns/you-should-avoid-hedging-at-least-that-s-what-i-think-you-should-be/) [Vernon Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-johns/) > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [“When all are undressed, one is somehow not ashamed, but when one's the only one undressed and everybody is looking, it's degrading,' he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/when-all-are-undressed-one-is-somehow-not-ashamed-but-when-one-s-the/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [There are a great many colored people who are ashamed of the cake-walk, but I think they ought to be proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/there-are-a-great-many-colored-people-who-are-ashamed-of-the-cake/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and who then asketh: "Am I a dishonest player?" - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-love-him-who-is-ashamed-when-the-dice-fall-in-his-favour-and-who/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan-publishing/whoever-is-ashamed-of-me-and-my-words-the-son-of-man-will-be-ashamed/) [Zondervan Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan-publishing/) > [You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-never-wonder-to-see-men-wicked-but-i-often-wonder-to-see-them-not/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“To survive during the Khmer Rouge, you had to steal, cheat, lie, point fingers at others, even kill. And now you are ashamed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brinkley/to-survive-during-the-khmer-rouge-you-had-to-steal-cheat-lie-point/) [Joel Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brinkley/) [Browse all 1,607 Ashamed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Be ashamed to die until you have done something good for mankind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vernon Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johnson/be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-something-good-for-mankind/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ashamed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johnson/be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-something-good-for-mankind/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/vernon-johnson-91252_ashamed_be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-so_1294059.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/vernon-johnson-91252_ashamed_be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-so_1294059.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/vernon-johnson-91252_ashamed_be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-so_1294059.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Be ashamed to die until you have done something good for mankind.” — Vernon Johnson", "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": "Vernon Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Be ashamed to die until you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johnson/be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-something-good-for-mankind/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johnson/be-ashamed-to-die-until-you-have-done-something-good-for-mankind/#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 } } ] } ```