He turns again to the others. I dislike his talk; it goes…
““He turns again to the others. I dislike his talk; it goes against my grain to hear him speak so contemptuously of cobblers. They make as good soldiers as the finer folk, anyway. Adolf Bethke was a cobbler, for that matter,—and he knew a sight more about war than a good many majors. It was the man that counted with us, not his occupation. —I eye the accountant dispraisingly. He is throwing about quotations now, and it may well be that he has ladled in culture with a spoon—but if it ever came to that again and some one had to bring me in under fire, I would sooner put my trust in Adolf Bethke.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A person's worth is judged by actions and character, not by their profession or social status.
In simple terms: Character matters more than job title.
Key Takeaway
Judge people by deeds, not occupations.
Themes
character
class
war
leadership
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- military leadership
- team decision
- conflict resolution
- ethical judgments
Key Concepts
human dignity
social bias
meritocracy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess someone's value beyond their job?
- What biases affect your judgments of others?
A Different Perspective
May overlook expertise when bias is strong.