What we give out, we get back.

[meliss]

Hi, could you please explain me which of the several meanings of the phrasal verb "give out" should I choose for the phrase below? Thank you.
"I believe life is really very simple. What we give out, we get back. The Universe totally supports every thought we choose to think and to believe." (You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay)

 

[emsr2d2]

Definition 2, "emit".

It seems to be talking about karma. If you do nice things, you get nice thing back. If you hurt people, you'll get hurt. Your actions and words are things that you give out; you put them out into the universe and, according to the author, the universe responds by treating you the same way.

 

[meliss]

Yes, I understand these. I'm just looking for the right word to translate "give out", could you give me the closest synonym, please?

 

[emsr2d2]

As I already said in post #2, "emit" is the closest definition from the dictionary. However, we would not use that in the context you've given. We would use "give out". There's really no alternative. At a push, we might say "send out". Are you trying to translate the phrase from English into another language?

 

[andrewg927]

We have a saying "what goes around comes around" with the same meaning as expressed in your quote.

 

[Matthew Wai]

If you give out pollutants, you will, in turn, be affected by them.

I think 'give out' means 'produce' above.

 

[meliss]

As I already said in post #2, "emit" is the closest definition from the dictionary. However, we would not use that in the context you've given. We would use "give out". There's really no alternative. At a push, we might say "send out". Are you trying to translate the phrase from English into another language?

Yes, I am.

 

[kilroy65]

What we give out, we get back.

You don't have to translate it literally. The general meaning is that we get what we give.

 

[tzfujimino]

You don't have to translate it literally.

I agree with you completely.