Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, "What's in it for me?"

The saying contrasts two mindsets. “Successful” people are framed as outward-looking: they scan for ways to solve problems, contribute, and build relationships—behaviors that tend to generate trust, reciprocity, and opportunities over time. “Unsuccessful” people are framed as inward-looking: they evaluate situations primarily by immediate personal gain, which can limit collaboration and make them appear transactional. The quote functions less as a sociological claim than as a prescriptive maxim: adopt a service orientation, and success will follow. Its rhetorical force comes from the stark binary, encouraging readers to self-audit their motives in work and social exchanges.

1) "Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'"
2) "Successful people look for ways to help others; unsuccessful people ask, 'What's in it for me?'"