Skip to main content

Witty One-Liners Quote by Frank Butler

"The joy of giving is indeed a pleasure, especially when you get rid of something you don't want"

About this Quote

Butler’s line turns the halo of generosity sideways and lets the light show the dust. “The joy of giving” arrives dressed in moral perfume, a phrase you’d expect on a greeting card or a church bulletin. Then he punctures it with a sly, almost domestic punchline: giving feels best when it’s basically decluttering. The humor works because it’s not a grand ideological attack; it’s an everyday confession sharpened into a one-liner.

The intent is to expose the bargain embedded in “selfless” acts. We like to imagine charity as pure virtue, but Butler points out the private incentives: relief, space, guilt reduction, the quiet thrill of being seen as good while also solving a minor personal problem. The subtext is less “people are hypocrites” than “virtue is often lubricated by convenience.” That’s why it lands. It doesn’t scold; it implicates you gently, because you’ve absolutely handed off an unwanted sweater and enjoyed the glow.

Contextually, it fits a modern economy of surplus where “giving” is frequently an off-ramp for excess. Think donation bins, holiday drives, corporate “clean-out” campaigns: the ritual of benevolence entwined with the maintenance of comfort. Butler’s joke also hints at a social asymmetry: the giver gets emotional satisfaction and practical benefit; the receiver gets whatever the giver couldn’t be bothered to keep. It’s a neat bit of cynicism that still leaves room for kindness, just not the kind that insists on its own purity.

Quote Details

TopicWitty One-Liners
More Quotes by Frank Add to List
Frank Butler quote on the joy of giving
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

Frank Butler is a notable figure.

4 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes

William S. Burroughs, Writer
William S. Burroughs