- Meaning and lesson
The saying argues that kindness is not a real loss. A helpful act may require time, effort, or money, yet it is presented as bringing value rather than leaving the giver poorer in any meaningful sense.
It encourages generosity without calculating every immediate return. Its absolute claim is moral and proverbial, not a guarantee of material or immediate reward; value may lie in gratitude, trust, mutual support, or acting rightly.
- When it is used
Use it to reassure someone who has helped another person or is hesitating over a considerate act. It suits reflective advice about generosity and reciprocal goodwill; “loseth” is archaic for “loses,” and “good turns” means kind or helpful acts, giving the wording an old-fashioned tone.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: One never loseth by doing good turns.