Analysis
This quote is widely misattributed to Gandhi and aligns thematically with his philosophy of *seva* (selfless service), but it does not appear in his collected works (*The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi*, 100 vols.). The phrase bears closer resemblance to modern paraphrases or interpretations of his ideas, possibly conflated with Christian theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s similar sentiments. No primary source from Gandhi’s writings, speeches, or interviews in the 1940s (including *My Life Is My Message*, a posthumous compilation) contains this exact wording. The Gandhi Research Foundation and Faktisk (Norwegian fact-checkers) have also debunked this attribution.
Background
Gandhi frequently emphasized *seva* as a path to spiritual growth, e.g., in *Hind Swaraj* (1909) or his 1920s essays on *satyagraha*, but his language was typically more concrete (e.g., 'Service which is rendered without joy... is no service'). The misattribution may stem from the quote’s resonance with his ideals or its viral spread in self-help literature. *My Life Is My Message* (published posthumously) is a curated anthology, not a single authoritative text, making it a common vector for misquotations.
Verdict summary
There is no verified record of Gandhi writing or saying, *'The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,'* in *My Life Is My Message* or any other 1940s work.