Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his 1841 essay Compensation,  wrote: “In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from  whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be  rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to  somebody.”

In 1916, Lily Hardy Hammond wrote, “You don’t pay love back; you pay it forward.”

Woody Hayes (February  14, 1913 – March 12, 1987) was a college football coach who is best  remembered for winning five national titles and 13 Big Ten championships  in 28 years at The Ohio State University.  He misquoted Emerson as having said “You can pay back only seldom. You  can always pay forward, and you must pay line for line, deed for deed,  and cent for cent.” He also shortened the (mis)quotation into “You can  never pay back; but you can always pay forward” and variants.