--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is very difficult sometimes to keep…" description: "\"“It is very difficult sometimes to keep upright.”\" — Alexander McCall Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-u_1934615.png" --- # It is very difficult sometimes to keep upright. ![“It is very difficult sometimes to keep upright.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-u_1934615.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-u_1934615.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-u_1934615.png) > ““It is very difficult sometimes to keep upright.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Maintaining moral integrity can be challenging, especially under pressure. **In simple terms:** Staying upright is hard sometimes. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner strength and honesty. Themes integrity challenge morality Mood reflective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career stress - ethical dilemmas - personal growth - leadership Key Concepts psychology ethics personal development Questions to Reflect On - What supports help you stay upright? - When have you struggled to keep your values? A Different Perspective Uprightness may be compromised by external forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Upright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-upright-3047104/) [Upright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upright/) ## Related quotes > [A man should be upright, not kept upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/a-man-should-be-upright-not-kept-upright/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [I consider myself to be very correct and proper: an upright citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-horsley/i-consider-myself-to-be-very-correct-and-proper-an-upright-citizen/) [Sebastian Horsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-horsley/) > [For this is the mark of a wise and upright man, not to rail against the gods in misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/for-this-is-the-mark-of-a-wise-and-upright-man-not-to-rail-against/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Stylistically, though, I've always liked Carlos Condit, because he at least amounted to at least the level of doing what I do. I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-diaz/stylistically-though-i-ve-always-liked-carlos-condit-because-he-at/) [Nick Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-diaz/) > [It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/it-is-hard-for-an-empty-bag-to-stand-upright/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“the upright will experience his favor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-upright-will-experience-his-favor/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Bicyclist's Philosophy of Life..."It's a matter of faith. You can keep upright only by moving forward. You have to have your eyes on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-vreeland/bicyclist-s-philosophy-of-life-it-s-a-matter-of-faith-you-can-keep/) [Susan Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-vreeland/) > [Both my grandmothers had upright pianos, and I just knew how to play since I was a child. Nobody taught me. I sounded like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-simpson/both-my-grandmothers-had-upright-pianos-and-i-just-knew-how-to-play/) [Valerie Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-simpson/) > [I'd started doing fanzines from the age of nine. I'd been doing as many copies as you can get carbon paper into an upright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/i-d-started-doing-fanzines-from-the-age-of-nine-i-d-been-doing-as/) [Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/) > [If you desire the path of sincerity, develop a love for obscurity. Flee from the clatter and clinks of fame. Be like the roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-desire-the-path-of-sincerity-develop-a-love-for-obscurity-flee/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had an upright - it took me years and years to get enough bread to get it. I'm from Florida, so one morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaco-pastorius/i-had-an-upright-it-took-me-years-and-years-to-get-enough-bread-to/) [Jaco Pastorius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaco-pastorius/) > [When I was first starting out, you'd have to bang an old upright piano and stick a mike in it and it would always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-winter/when-i-was-first-starting-out-you-d-have-to-bang-an-old-upright-piano/) [Edgar Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-winter/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [There is only one position for an artist anywhere; and that is upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/there-is-only-one-position-for-an-artist-anywhere-and-that-is-upright/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) > [“If you're upright, you're alright.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-d-beverly/if-you-re-upright-you-re-alright/) [Pamela D. Beverly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-d-beverly/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Difficult quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) [Browse all 13,132 Difficult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is very difficult sometimes to keep upright.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-upright/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Difficult" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-upright/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-u_1934615.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-u_1934615.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-u_1934615.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is very difficult sometimes to keep upright.” — Alexander McCall Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is very difficult sometimes to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-upright/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-very-difficult-sometimes-to-keep-upright/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```