In real life, help is given out of friendship, or it is not valued; it is received from the hand of friendship, or it is resented.
Meaning
Writing about beggars, Stevenson observes that help only lands well when it comes with real regard rather than pity or duty. Next time you offer support, sit down and listen first, treating the person as a friend with a problem instead of a problem to fix.
Source: Across the Plains (1892)
About the author
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist and poet, best known for Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
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