"There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb."
— Andrew Carnegie
There Is No Use Whatever Trying
There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb.
About this quote
This passage appears in Carnegie's writings on philanthropy and his reflections on the conditions under which charitable assistance is effective. Carnegie was deeply skeptical of indiscriminate charity, arguing that aid which removes the incentive to self-improvement ultimately harms rather than helps the recipient. He founded institutions designed to help people help themselves — libraries being the prime example.
Source
Attributed, reported in Carnegie's writings on philanthropy
