Albert Schweitzer - The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others
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Welcome to The Daily Quote—a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for March 13th.
Today is National Good Samaritan Day, a reminder that kindness still exists—even outside of heartwarming internet cat snuggling up to the dog videos. This day is all about doing good deeds for others without expecting anything in return. It’s a chance to be that person who holds the door open, helps someone with their groceries, or—if you're feeling extra generous—doesn’t correct someone when they’re clearly wrong about a trivial fact.
That brings us to today’s quote from legendary author and humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, who once said:
"The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others."
Now, Schweitzer was a theologian, philosopher, physician, and Nobel Peace Prize winner—so he had a pretty solid resume when it came to helping others. And while you and I might not be saving lives on a daily basis, the idea here is simple: life has more meaning when we focus on serving others rather than just ourselves.
And no, that doesn’t mean you have to become a monk or dedicate your life to charity work (unless you want to, of course). It just means that small acts of kindness add up. The way you treat people—whether it’s your friends, family, coworkers, or even a stranger on the street—matters. And the best part? Being kind doesn’t cost a thing. Well… unless your act of kindness involves paying for someone's coffee. But hey, it’s cheaper than therapy!
It could mean volunteering at a local shelter, mentoring someone or donating blood... all of those things count. So today, take Schweitzer’s words to heart. Be a Good Samaritan. Help someone out, show some compassion, and maybe—just maybe—make the world a little better, one small act at a time. That’s it for today’s episode.
Thanks for spending a few minutes with me. If this quote inspired you, go out and live it. And if you really want to spread the kindness, feel free to share this episode with someone who needs it.
I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off for today but I’ll be back tomorrow - same pod time, same pod station with another Daily Quote.