"The duty of helping one's self in the highest sense involves the helping of one's neighbors"

This quote by Samuel Smiles speaks to the idea of self-improvement and how it is intertwined with assisting others. Smiles is suggesting that in order to genuinely help oneself, one must also assist their next-door neighbors. This idea is based on the principle of interconnectedness, that we are all linked and our actions have an impact on those around us. By assisting our next-door neighbors, we remain in turn helping ourselves. This quote motivates us to think beyond our own needs and to think about the requirements of those around us. It is a suggestion that our actions have a causal sequence which we must aim to be a favorable influence in our neighborhood. By helping our neighbors, we are ultimately helping ourselves in the highest sense.