Who said “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and…”?

Misattributed

Not Herman Melville. It's commonly credited to them, but the evidence shows it isn't theirs.

What the research foundListed as misattributed to Herman Melville; no source in their known works.

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“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as courses, and they come back to us as effects.”
— Herman Melville
MisattributedListed as misattributed to Herman Melville; no source in their known works. · evidenceAction
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APA

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as courses, and they come back to us as effects.” [Quotation attributed to Herman Melville]. (n.d.). Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/3289-we-cannot-live-only-for-ourselves-a-thousand/

MLA

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as courses, and they come back to us as effects.” Attributed to Herman Melville. Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/3289-we-cannot-live-only-for-ourselves-a-thousand/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as courses, and they come back to us as effects.” Attributed to Herman Melville. Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/3289-we-cannot-live-only-for-ourselves-a-thousand/.

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“They talk of the dignity of work. The dignity is in leisure.”
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All 27 Herman Melville quotes →