God help those who do not help themselves.

Mizner’s quip plays off the proverb “God helps those who help themselves,” a maxim often treated as biblical though it is not. By reversing it—“God help those who do not help themselves”—the line becomes sardonic rather than exhortatory. It suggests sympathy (or mock sympathy) for the chronically helpless, the complacent, or those who expect rescue without effort. In Mizner’s characteristic wisecracking style, the joke also exposes how moralistic slogans can be flipped to reveal their harshness: if self-reliance is the rule, what becomes of people who cannot—or will not—meet it? The humor carries an edge of social commentary about dependency and responsibility.