--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I give, I give myself." description: "\"When I give, I give myself.\" — Walt Whitman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/walt-whitman-265_quote_when-i-give-i-give-myself-1018804_1018804.png" --- # When I give, I give myself. ![“When I give, I give myself.” quote by Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/walt-whitman-265_quote_when-i-give-i-give-myself-1018804_1018804.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/walt-whitman-265_quote_when-i-give-i-give-myself-1018804_1018804.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/walt-whitman-265_quote_when-i-give-i-give-myself-1018804_1018804.png) > “When I give, I give myself.” [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Giving to others involves giving a part of oneself, implying that generosity is also self‑affirmation. **In simple terms:** Giving is also giving yourself. Key Takeaway Embrace generosity as self‑expression. Themes generosity self‑identity connection spirituality Mood uplifting introspective Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - relationships - artistic creation Key Concepts self‑gift altruism inner fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - How does giving reflect your identity? - When is self‑care needed alongside generosity? A Different Perspective Over‑giving may lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [You give to yourself by giving of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kahn/you-give-to-yourself-by-giving-of-yourself/) [Matthew Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kahn/) > [“When you give to others, you give to yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/when-you-give-to-others-you-give-to-yourself/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [When you give yourself, you receive more than you give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/when-you-give-yourself-you-receive-more-than-you-give/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [I really believe when you give to other people, you give to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-really-believe-when-you-give-to-other-people-you-give-to-yourself/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [What you give to others, you give to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-course-in-miracles/what-you-give-to-others-you-give-to-yourself/) [A Course In Miracles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-course-in-miracles/) > [In order to truly give to others, you have to give to yourself first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-vincent/in-order-to-truly-give-to-others-you-have-to-give-to-yourself-first/) [Ali Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-vincent/) > [Give to yourself as much as you give of yourself! This means you have to put yourself first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/give-to-yourself-as-much-as-you-give-of-yourself-this-means-you-have/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [By giving to others, you automatically give to yourself as well. And there's a good chance you will also get it from others in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-giving-to-others-you-automatically-give-to-yourself-as-well-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/it-is-when-you-give-of-yourself-that-you-truly-give/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [Everyone knows how to give but not everyone knows when to give!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-knows-how-to-give-but-not-everyone-knows-when-to-give/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you give, it comes back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/when-you-give-it-comes-back-to-you/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) > [When you give, you receive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alek-wek/when-you-give-you-receive/) [Alek Wek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alek-wek/) > [“When you get, give.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/when-you-get-give/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Give of yourself to others and others will give of themselves to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/give-of-yourself-to-others-and-others-will-give-of-themselves-to-you/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [When you give, give with joy and smiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/when-you-give-give-with-joy-and-smiling/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) ## More by Walt Whitman > [O lands! O all so dear to me - what you are, I become part of that, whatever it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/o-lands-o-all-so-dear-to-me-what-you-are-i-become-part-of-that/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [“Each of us inevitable, Each of us limitless—each of us with his or her right upon the earth, Each of us allow'd the eternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/each-of-us-inevitable-each-of-us-limitless-each-of-us-with-his-or-her/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [I have sometimes thought that the laws ought not to punish those actions of evil which are committed when the senses are steeped in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/i-have-sometimes-thought-that-the-laws-ought-not-to-punish-those/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Oh while I live, to be the ruler of life, not a slave, to meet life as a powerful conqueror, and nothing exterior to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/oh-while-i-live-to-be-the-ruler-of-life-not-a-slave-to-meet-life-as-a/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [“it makes such difference where you read”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/it-makes-such-difference-where-you-read/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Wisdom is not finally tested in the schools, Wisdom cannot be pass'd from one having it to another not having it, Wisdom is of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/wisdom-is-not-finally-tested-in-the-schools-wisdom-cannot-be-pass-d/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [I think I could always live with animals. The more you're around people, the more you love animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/i-think-i-could-always-live-with-animals-the-more-you-re-around/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [“I am the poet of the Body and I am the poet of the Soul, The pleasures of heaven are with me and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/i-am-the-poet-of-the-body-and-i-am-the-poet-of-the-soul-the-pleasures/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [So here I sit in the early candle-light of old age-I and my book-casting backward glances over out travel'd road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/so-here-i-sit-in-the-early-candle-light-of-old-age-i-and-my-book/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/re-examine-all-you-have-been-told-dismiss-what-insults-your-soul/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [This is what you shall do: love the earth and sun, and animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/this-is-what-you-shall-do-love-the-earth-and-sun-and-animals-despise/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Each of us inevitable; Each of us limitless-each of us with his or her right upon the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/each-of-us-inevitable-each-of-us-limitless-each-of-us-with-his-or-her-2/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Silence? What can New York-noisy, roaring, rumbling, tumbling, bustling, story, turbulent New York-have to do with silence? Amid the universal clatter, the incessant din…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/silence-what-can-new-york-noisy-roaring-rumbling-tumbling-bustling/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) [Explore all 775 Walt Whitman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I give, I give myself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walt Whitman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/when-i-give-i-give-myself/", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/when-i-give-i-give-myself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/walt-whitman-265_quote_when-i-give-i-give-myself-1018804_1018804.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/walt-whitman-265_quote_when-i-give-i-give-myself-1018804_1018804.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/walt-whitman-265_quote_when-i-give-i-give-myself-1018804_1018804.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I give, I give myself.” — Walt Whitman", "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": "Walt Whitman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I give, I give myself.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/when-i-give-i-give-myself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/when-i-give-i-give-myself/#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 } } ] } ```