The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual.
Samuel Smiles Self-Help, Chapter I (1859)
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When and why it was written
- When
- The opening of Self-Help, published in 1859.
- Why
- Smiles introduces a book of examples of people who improved their lives through their own effort.
What it means
Smiles argues that help from outside often weakens, while help from within strengthens.
His emphasis is effort, not isolation: growth starts with what you do yourself.
Our reading of the passage cited above, not a quotation from a commentary.
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Self-Help, 1859
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