Towards the end of the TV show, a mother explains that she always tells her child, "Take what you need but give all you can." Kojak (2005) Season 1, Episode 2.
A feel-good ending and this capped it off nicely, I thought. I was not in the mood to write and thought this would be a good way to complete my self-imposed deadline in a simple yet powerful way. Just a quick check to see where this quote might have originated, and I am good to go.
Oops.
The first article that captured my attention had something to say, alright. The title is Take What You Can and Give Nothing Back. The writer of this self-help LinkedIn post notes that the phrase comes from bringing a ship into the dock but can be applied to life as well. He ends with this quote.
Let us all continue to be good people. At the same time, let us start to break down the construct that in order to be a good person we somehow have to be completely selfless. We can have our cake and eat it too. So, go out there and “take what you can, give nothing back”. Then, when you can, pay it forward!
Another article is labeled Take What You Need, Give What You Can. This writer speaks to the idea that we have everything we need inside of us while mentioning some of the Fruits of the Spirit (Love, Joy, Peace) as well as a few that are not mentioned in any bible verse. There is no mention of giving, however.
To review, we now have three variations.
- Take what you need and give all you can.
- Take what you can and give nothing back
- Take what you need, give what you can.
I guess nothing is simple. In this life, there is ample opportunity to shave a little here, cut a little there, exaggerate a point as needed, and spin the interpretation into whatever meets the internal need of the speaker.
Looking again at the three modifications, numerous word replacements could easily continue the transformations in small as well as significant ways.
As a small exercise, spend a moment to determine a statement that affirms your own viewpoint. Say it aloud and then write it down.
One might favor the forcefulness of the existing word 'take'. Another might wish to attribute a touch of humbleness by inserting the word 'accept'.
Some might include the expansiveness of the word 'all' while others would temper the statement with a self-limiting can.
There will be people who dislike the word 'nothing' and will use 'something' in its place.
The last step would be to spend time considering the reasons for your choice of words in this small sentence. I am thinking that it will reveal a lot about our core values as we interact with those around us.
After finishing this post, I explored other expressions that are commonly used in everyday speech. If you had fun with the exercise above, it could also be somewhat amusing (informative) to spend time with these websites.
Many of these quotes are less common. And I am certain that there is not the time to spend considering each included expression. But as I read through them, I tried to be cognizant of my initial reaction and that alone was worth the exercise.
The 100 Most Famous Quotes of All Time
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
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