--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The main thing in measuring integrity is…" description: "\"The main thing in measuring integrity is someone's motive and intent, not how many records they sell. Our intent in Ministry was never to be big. We ju..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07d/al-jourgensen-8398_austin_the-main-thing-in-measuring-integrity-is_722136.png" --- # The main thing in measuring integrity is someone's motive… ![“The main thing in measuring integrity is someone's motive and intent, not how many records they sell. Our intent in Ministry was never to be big. We just wanted to make enough money to live and to buy a studio, which we have done in Austin.” quote by Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07d/al-jourgensen-8398_austin_the-main-thing-in-measuring-integrity-is_722136.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07d/al-jourgensen-8398_austin_the-main-thing-in-measuring-integrity-is_722136.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07d/al-jourgensen-8398_austin_the-main-thing-in-measuring-integrity-is_722136.png) > “The main thing in measuring integrity is someone's motive and intent, not how many records they sell. Our intent in Ministry was never to be big. We just wanted to make enough money to live and to buy a studio, which we have done in Austin.” [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Integrity is judged by motive and intent, not sales numbers. **In simple terms:** Integrity depends on purpose, not profit. Key Takeaway Prioritize authentic intent over commercial success. Themes integrity motivation music industry authenticity business ethics Mood reflective critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - record label deals - studio budgeting - tour planning - marketing strategies - financial decisions Key Concepts intentionality ethical standards artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - What drives your creative decisions? - How do you balance profit and artistic integrity? A Different Perspective Commercial pressure can dilute artistic goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Intent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intent/) [Ministry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ministry/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) ## Related quotes > [Trust is a function of two things: character and competence. Character includes your integrity, your motive and your intent with people. Competence includes your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/trust-is-a-function-of-two-things-character-and-competence-character/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [The music is the message, the message is the music. So that's my little ministry that the Big Man upstairs gave to me -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/the-music-is-the-message-the-message-is-the-music-so-that-s-my-little/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [I don't care about how many records I sell, but the main thing is people like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/i-don-t-care-about-how-many-records-i-sell-but-the-main-thing-is/) Shura > [Bands that say they don't care about how their records sell are liars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-flowers/bands-that-say-they-don-t-care-about-how-their-records-sell-are-liars/) [Brandon Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-flowers/) > [How many records you sell really does not matter. It's whatever you give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wolf/how-many-records-you-sell-really-does-not-matter-it-s-whatever-you/) [Patrick Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wolf/) > [I think there are records that will sell, and I think what makes a record sell is a continuity of sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-luke/i-think-there-are-records-that-will-sell-and-i-think-what-makes-a/) [Dr. Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-luke/) > [I don't particularly care how many records we sell any more because we've kind of bought all the equipment we want to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-booth/i-don-t-particularly-care-how-many-records-we-sell-any-more-because/) [Sean Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-booth/) > [My mama was a rocker way back in fifty-three, buys them old records that they sell on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/my-mama-was-a-rocker-way-back-in-fifty-three-buys-them-old-records/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [The more negative hype we get, the more records we sell, know what I'm saying?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarface/the-more-negative-hype-we-get-the-more-records-we-sell-know-what-i-m/) [Scarface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarface/) > [I'm gonna be making records anyway, even if I had to sell 'em out of the trunk of my car. I'm that kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-m-gonna-be-making-records-anyway-even-if-i-had-to-sell-em-out-of/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [Remember the Stax label and how if you liked one record, you liked all the others as well? You don't talk to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-rucker/remember-the-stax-label-and-how-if-you-liked-one-record-you-liked-all/) [Darius Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-rucker/) > [After you reach a certain age, they think you’re over. Well, I will never be over. I’ll be making records if I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/after-you-reach-a-certain-age-they-think-you-re-over-well-i-will/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-cruise-o-brien/the-main-thing-that-endears-the-united-nations-to-member-governments/) [Conor Cruise O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-cruise-o-brien/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [The main thing about money is that it makes you do things you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-holbrook/the-main-thing-about-money-is-that-it-makes-you-do-things-you-don-t/) [Hal Holbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-holbrook/) ## More by Al Jourgensen > [I'm male gigolo. Professionally? I don't think I've ever done anything professionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-m-male-gigolo-professionally-i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-done-anything/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [I'm a studio rat. I like going in there as producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-m-a-studio-rat-i-like-going-in-there-as-producer/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [Ian MacKaye was in London while I was living there. We both decided that even though we had very different lifestyles, we had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/ian-mackaye-was-in-london-while-i-was-living-there-we-both-decided/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [Listen, man: I am not the industrial godfather, king, whatever. I don't relish that title. I don't like it. I think it's limiting. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/listen-man-i-am-not-the-industrial-godfather-king-whatever-i-don-t/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [I was a pretty delinquent little kid. My folks and I didn't get along, so I basically moved out... put myself through high school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-was-a-pretty-delinquent-little-kid-my-folks-and-i-didn-t-get-along/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [Let's get with it, guys: You don't need to hear a Ministry song to get political. You should be political on your own. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/let-s-get-with-it-guys-you-don-t-need-to-hear-a-ministry-song-to-get/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [The more you think, the more you ruin things. 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That's a good sign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-get-along-great-with-all-of-my-exes-that-s-really-cool-that-s-a/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [I've never seen the Osbournes, I've never seen Paris Hilton. I'd rather read than watch reality TV. I'd rather live life than watch somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-ve-never-seen-the-osbournes-i-ve-never-seen-paris-hilton-i-d-rather/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [Our label is very digital-friendly. We try to provide some free stuff to get interest in the band, but we have to pay our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/our-label-is-very-digital-friendly-we-try-to-provide-some-free-stuff/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [I'm done with industrial. Seriously, my iPod collection at home has no industrial music on it; it's strictly jazz, blues and country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-m-done-with-industrial-seriously-my-ipod-collection-at-home-has-no/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [I got my influences from '70s bands - Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, blah blah blah. When I was growing up, we had all these crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-got-my-influences-from-70s-bands-zeppelin-pink-floyd-blah-blah-blah/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [I'm for Barack Obama. We gotta have the Muslim cell in there just to piss Rush Limbaugh and the right wing off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-m-for-barack-obama-we-gotta-have-the-muslim-cell-in-there-just-to/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) [Explore all 81 Al Jourgensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) ## More Austin quotes > [In the tradition of the classic songwriter rooms like The Bluebird in Nashville, Strange Brew is a gift to the music community in Austin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-cross/in-the-tradition-of-the-classic-songwriter-rooms-like-the-bluebird-in/) [Christopher Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-cross/) > [Athens, much like Austin, is a difficult music scene. 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I mean, how great can that be?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verne-troyer/me-being-able-to-beat-up-austin-powers-i-mean-how-great-can-that-be/) [Verne Troyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verne-troyer/) > [“I love you,' I told him. It was not the first time, but I didn't want it to be the last. Austin gathered me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-hart/i-love-you-i-told-him-it-was-not-the-first-time-but-i-didn-t-want-it/) [Megan Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-hart/) > [Does anybody have, a cold beer for Steve Austin?!??!!?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/does-anybody-have-a-cold-beer-for-steve-austin/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [That's one the main reasons we live in Austin. The weather is so nice for the majority of the offseason, and it's easy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-arrieta/that-s-one-the-main-reasons-we-live-in-austin-the-weather-is-so-nice/) [Jake Arrieta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-arrieta/) > [I would say of characters I've created, the one I've felt the most connected to emotionally was Adam Austin from 'The Prophet.' I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-koryta/i-would-say-of-characters-i-ve-created-the-one-i-ve-felt-the-most/) [Michael Koryta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-koryta/) > [I come from a very small island which is packed with people. I mean, jam-packed with people. I've lived a life which has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/i-come-from-a-very-small-island-which-is-packed-with-people-i-mean/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [What we've witnessed in the past 25 or 30 years is just incredible. 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