pay it forward

Etymology:

• This concept is considered ancient and likely predates ancient Greek civilization. Though likely first coined by author Lily Hardy Hammond in her 1916 novel, In the Garden of Delight, noted sci-fi author Robert Heinlein is credited with popularizing the term in the book Between Planets (1951) and he later formed a humanitarian organization based off the ‘pay it forward’ philosophy. The phrase and concept ‘pay it forward’ became solidified in contemporary culture with Catherine Ryan Hyde’s 1999 novel of the same name, that led to the 2000 major motion picture; both are based on a protagonist who launches a pay it forward campaign.