--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only things we keep permanently are…" description: "\"The only things we keep permanently are those we give away,\" — Waite Phillips" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/waite-phillips-57451_away_the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are_855808.png" --- # The only things we keep permanently are those we give away, ![“The only things we keep permanently are those we give away,” quote by Waite Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/waite-phillips-57451_away_the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are_855808.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/waite-phillips-57451_away_the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are_855808.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/waite-phillips-57451_away_the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are_855808.png) > “The only things we keep permanently are those we give away,” [Waite Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waite-phillips/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Giving away creates lasting legacy; material things are temporary. **In simple terms:** Giving creates lasting impact. Key Takeaway Share generously to leave a mark. Themes generosity legacy impermanence Mood reflective warm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - charitable work - community building - personal fulfillment Key Concepts philanthropy social impact memory Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to give? - How to balance giving and self‑care? A Different Perspective Giving without boundaries may lead to personal depletion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Permanently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanently/) [Permanently Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanently-away-549306/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Permanently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-permanently-798587/) ## Related quotes > [Country things are the necessary root of our life - and that remains true even of a rootless and tragically urban civilization. To live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/country-things-are-the-necessary-root-of-our-life-and-that-remains/) [Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/) > [Anderson Cooper every night dreams about getting my job permanently really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regis-philbin/anderson-cooper-every-night-dreams-about-getting-my-job-permanently/) [Regis Philbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regis-philbin/) > [Nothing is yours permanently so you better enjoy it while it's happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/nothing-is-yours-permanently-so-you-better-enjoy-it-while-it-s/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [Absence makes the heart grow fonder. For optimal results abandon your loved one permanently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder-for-optimal-results-abandon-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was 14 or 15 when I moved to L.A. permanently, but I had been out for pilot season for a few years before that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-robertson/i-was-14-or-15-when-i-moved-to-l-a-permanently-but-i-had-been-out-for/) [Britt Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-robertson/) > [I used to go to Cold Stone Creamery, get a tub of Butterfinger ice cream, and eat it all before bedtime. And my fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-hudgens/i-used-to-go-to-cold-stone-creamery-get-a-tub-of-butterfinger-ice/) [Vanessa Hudgens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-hudgens/) > [What you do daily determines what you become permanently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-murdock/what-you-do-daily-determines-what-you-become-permanently/) [Mike Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-murdock/) > [“Pull himself together? This was a man who looked permanently cemented together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/pull-himself-together-this-was-a-man-who-looked-permanently-cemented/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [Never do something permanently stupid just because you are temporarily upset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-do-something-permanently-stupid-just-because-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Despite the best efforts of apologists like William Lane Craig, the 'evidence' for Christianity's truth is, in truth, not the kind that science will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/despite-the-best-efforts-of-apologists-like-william-lane-craig-the/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [My first job was scooping ice cream at Friendly's in Albany, New York. I hated the work, most of my colleagues, and the uniform,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/my-first-job-was-scooping-ice-cream-at-friendly-s-in-albany-new-york/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“no girl can permanently bolster up a lame-duck visitor, because these day it's every girl for herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/no-girl-can-permanently-bolster-up-a-lame-duck-visitor-because-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It was official. I was an asshole with a permanently broken heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/it-was-official-i-was-an-asshole-with-a-permanently-broken-heart/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [“You cannot permanently destroy what you didn't build because the builder can always choose to build again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khuliso-mamathoni/you-cannot-permanently-destroy-what-you-didn-t-build-because-the/) [Khuliso Mamathoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khuliso-mamathoni/) > [“If you have to loose something temporarily for having it permanently then just do it and hope best”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneeq-tahir/if-you-have-to-loose-something-temporarily-for-having-it-permanently/) [Aneeq Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneeq-tahir/) ## More by Waite Phillips > [Many people think they could do much better if they only had the opportunity that they don’t realize they already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/many-people-think-they-could-do-much-better-if-they-only-had-the/) [Waite Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waite-phillips/) > [Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished without the will to start, the enthusiasm to continue and, regardless of temporary obstacles, the persistence to complete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/nothing-worthwhile-was-ever-accomplished-without-the-will-to-start/) [Waite Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waite-phillips/) > [What is really important is what you learn after thinking you know it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/what-is-really-important-is-what-you-learn-after-thinking-you-know-it/) [Waite Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waite-phillips/) > [To see is one of God's great gifts to man and to comprehend what we see is doubly so. Furthermore, He has endowed some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/to-see-is-one-of-god-s-great-gifts-to-man-and-to-comprehend-what-we/) [Waite Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waite-phillips/) > [Some people never learn the art of compromise. Everything is either black or white. They do no recognize, or will not concede, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/some-people-never-learn-the-art-of-compromise-everything-is-either/) [Waite Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waite-phillips/) [Explore all 6 Waite Phillips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waite-phillips/) ## More Away quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [I don't like being away from home. 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Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Beauty fades away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/beauty-fades-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“Please don't go away. You--you matter. To me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/please-don-t-go-away-you-you-matter-to-me/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [“Why is it," she asked, snuggling closer, "that I so often imagine myself running away and running free?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/why-is-it-she-asked-snuggling-closer-that-i-so-often-imagine-myself/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) [Browse all 4,933 Away quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only things we keep permanently are those we give away,", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Waite Phillips" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are-those-we-give-away/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Away" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are-those-we-give-away/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/waite-phillips-57451_away_the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are_855808.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/waite-phillips-57451_away_the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are_855808.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/828/waite-phillips-57451_away_the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are_855808.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only things we keep permanently are those we give away,” — Waite Phillips", "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": "Waite Phillips", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waite-phillips/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only things we keep permanently...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are-those-we-give-away/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waite-phillips/the-only-things-we-keep-permanently-are-those-we-give-away/#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 } } ] } ```