When most people think about the concept of giving, they tend to go straight to imagining acts of charity. But really, aren’t our whole lives centered around giving and receiving? Judging by these quotes about giving, I’m not the first one to take notice of the reciprocity that is at the core of the human experience.
Naturally, giving in and of itself doesn’t require any reciprocity. Ideally, you’d be able to give without expecting anything in return. However, knowing how to receive and be grateful is still pretty important — as you’re about to find out.
30 Enlightening Quotes About Giving Without a Hidden Agenda
Quotes About Giving Generously and Receiving Gracefully
#1. “It’s easier to take than to give; it’s nobler to give than to take. The thrill of taking lasts a day; the thrill of giving lasts a lifetime.” ― Joan Marques
#2. “When you start giving instead of getting, you make a difference. You can always give a warm smile, a sincere hello, a positive vibe… your attention, your time, your love, and kindness to those around you.” ― Roy T. Bennett
#3. “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston Churchhill
#4. “Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process.” — Jim Rohn
#5. “Until we can receive with an open heart, we’re never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.” ― Brené Brown
#6. “Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion. Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return — just know in your heart it will be returned.” ― Steve Maraboli
#7. “Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.” ― Brian Tracy
#8. “Gracious acceptance is an art — an art which most never bother to cultivate. We think that we have to learn how to give, but we forget about accepting things, which can be much harder than giving… Accepting another person’s gift is allowing him to express his feelings for you.” ― Alexander McCall Smith
#9. “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ― Maya Angelou
Quotes About Giving Without Resentment and Asking for Anything in Return
#10. “Give cheerfully and freely. It is the energy behind the giving that matters, so do not give grudgingly. The law of cause and effect guarantees that you shall receive plenty for what you give.” — David Cameron Gikandi
#11. “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ― Mother Teresa
#12. “The next time you want to withhold your help, or your love, or your support for another for whatever the reason, ask yourself a simple question: do the reasons you want to withhold it reflect more on them or on you? And which reasons do you want defining you forevermore?” ― Dan Pearce
#13. “The most truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward.” ― Carol Ryrie Brink
#14. “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” ― Kahlil Gibran
#15. “What does one person give to another? He gives of himself, of the most precious he has, he gives of his life. […] He does not give in order to receive; giving is in itself exquisite joy. But in giving, he cannot help bringing something to life in the other person, and this which is brought to life reflects back to him.” ― Erich Fromm
#16. “I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.” ― Mother Teresa
Pious Quotes About Giving to the Poor and Sharing Your Wealth
#17. “Do you not know that God entrusted you with that money (all above what buys necessities for your families) to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to help the stranger, the widow, the fatherless; and, indeed, as far as it will go, to relieve the wants of all mankind? How can you, how dare you, defraud the Lord, by applying it to any other purpose?” ― John Wesley
#18. “Anticipate charity by preventing poverty; assist the reduced fellow man, either by a considerable gift or a sum of money or by teaching him a trade or by putting him in the way of business so that he may earn an honest livelihood and not be forced to the dreadful alternative of holding out his hand for charity. This is the highest step and summit of charity’s golden ladder.” — Maimonides
#19. “Speak the truth, do not become angered, and give when asked, even be it a little. By these three conditions, one goes to the presence of the gods.” ― Buddha Siddhartha Guatama Shakyamuni
#20. “No one has ever become poor by giving.” — Anne Frank
#21. “One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.” ― George Eliot
#22. “Many people despise wealth, but few know how to give it away.” — François de La Rochefoucauld
#23. “I don’t think you ever stop giving. I really don’t. I think it’s an ongoing process. And it’s not just about being able to write a check. It’s being able to touch somebody’s life.” — Oprah Winfrey
Insightful Quotes About Giving Your Attention and Affection
#24. “Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.” ― Steve Goodier
#25. “Giving generously in romantic relationships, and in all other bonds, means recognizing when the other person needs our attention. Attention is an important resource.” ― Bell Hooks
#26. “If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that — warm things, kind things, sweet things — help and comfort and laughter — and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all.” ― Frances Hodgson Burnett
#27. “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” ― Amy Carmichael
#28. “Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.” ― Brian Tracy
#29. “Let us make one point — that we meet each other with a smile when it is difficult to smile. Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family.” ― Mother Teresa
#30. “Service is a smile. It is an acknowledging wave, a reaching handshake, a friendly wink, and a warm hug. It’s these simple acts that matter most because the greatest service to a human soul has always been the kindness of recognition.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich
To Conclude
While giving selflessly is a lovely trait, some people take it to an unhealthy extreme. These people don’t know how to stop themselves from giving too much — they find themselves unable to refuse any request. Suffice it to say, I’m not sure I agreed with Mother Teresa when she said that one should give until it hurts.
Of course, some would say that it’s worse to always take without giving than to give at your own detriment. But I’d say that it’s important to strike that perfect balance — to give as much of yourself as you can while still respecting your boundaries. Hopefully, these quotes about giving have shown you how to go about doing that.
