Who said “Our duty is to be useful, not according to our desires, but according to our powers.”?

Verified

Henri Frederic Amiel. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceJournal Intime (1882), 17 December 1856

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Journal Intime (1882), 17 December 1856.

APA

Amiel, H. F. (n.d.). Our duty is to be useful, not according to our desires, but according to our powers. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1012-our-duty-is-to-be-useful-not-according/

MLA

Amiel, Henri Frederic. “Our duty is to be useful, not according to our desires, but according to our powers.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1012-our-duty-is-to-be-useful-not-according/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Amiel, Henri Frederic. “Our duty is to be useful, not according to our desires, but according to our powers.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1012-our-duty-is-to-be-useful-not-according/.

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