Do you covet honor? You will never get it by serving yourself. Do you covet distinction? You will get it only as you serve mankind. Do not forget, then, as you walk these classic places, why you are here. You are not here merely to prepare to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) US President (1913-20), educator, political scientist
Speech, Swarthmore College (25 Oct 1913)
(Source)
Woodrow Wilson was addressing undergraduates and he actually said “You are not here merely to prepare to make a living.” You can view a full transcript of his address here: https://jackmartinleith.com/woodrow-wilsons-you-are-here-to-enrich-the-world-address/
Thanks! The source I cited (a US Senate document, reprinting the speech) had it correctly already, but either I mistranscribed the original or I had brought over one of the misquoted versions you reference and didn’t notice the difference. I appreciate the correction.
You’re welcome, Dave. I prefer the widely-circulated ‘wrong’ version as it suggests WW is addressing the whole of humanity rather than a bunch of students at a private university.