"To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature"
- Adam Smith
About this Quote
Adam Smith's quote speaks to the idea that human beings need to aim to be selfless and thoughtful. He recommends that by limiting our selfishness and exercising our benevolent affections, we can reach the excellence of human nature. This implies that we need to focus on assisting others and not simply ourselves. We should be generous with our time, energy, and resources, and want to put the needs of others before our own. By doing this, we can end up being more caring and understanding of the struggles of others. We can also become more knowledgeable about our own privilege and utilize it to help those who are less fortunate. Eventually, Adam Smith's quote motivates us to be more mindful of our actions and to strive to be much better people.