Dialogue between Russell and his daughter Katharine, as quoted in My Father – Bertrand Russell (1975)
“
"I don't want to! Why should I?"
"Because more people will be happier if you do than if you don't."
"So what? I don't care about other people."
"You should."
"But why?"
"Because more people will be happier if you do than if you don't."
— Bertrand Russell
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets ""I don't want to! Why should I?"
"Because more people will be happier if you do than if you don't."
"So what? I don't care about other people."
"You should."
"But why?"
"Because more people will be happier if you do than if you don't."" in the context of "Dialogue between Russell and his daughter Katharine, as quoted in My Father – Bertrand Russell (1975)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Bertrand Russell" (Quotes, Attributed from posthumous publications)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 08, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (May 18, 1872 – February 2, 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. In 1950, he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature.
About Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (May 18, 1872 – February 2, 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. In 1950, he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature.
View all quotes →