Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody.”
This phrase became popular after the hit movie “Pay it Forward” with Haley Joel Osment, Kevin Spacey, and Helen Hunt. Haley’s character, Trevor, comes up with the idea of paying a favor not back, but forward — repaying good deeds with new good deeds done to three new people. Awesome.