---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was all very well occupying the moral…"
description: "\"“It was all very well occupying the moral high ground on electoral reform, but what really mattered, she thought, was how you treated your mother.”\" — ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_high-ground_it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral_1875213.png"
---

#  It was all very well occupying the moral high ground on…

![“It was all very well occupying the moral high ground on electoral reform, but what really mattered, she thought, was how you treated your mother.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_high-ground_it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral_1875213.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_high-ground_it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral_1875213.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_high-ground_it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral_1875213.png)

> ““It was all very well occupying the moral high ground on electoral reform, but what really mattered, she thought, was how you treated your mother.””

[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.

Moral superiority is secondary to how we treat loved ones, especially mothers.

**In simple terms:** Treat family with respect.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize compassion over ideology.

Themes

family morality humility

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- family gatherings
- caregiving
- conflict resolution
- career choices

Key Concepts

ethics interpersonal relationships

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance principle and family?
- What does caring for mother mean to you?

A Different Perspective

Ideals can blind us to personal responsibilities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[High ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-ground/) [Moral high ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-high-ground/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/)

## Related quotes

> [“The moral high ground proved to be one hell of an aphrodisiac...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-a-floriste/the-moral-high-ground-proved-to-be-one-hell-of-an-aphrodisiac/)

Eve A. Floriste

> [“We’re businessmen, Chubs. The moral high ground is wherever we set it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-businessmen-chubs-the-moral-high-ground-is-wherever-we-set-it/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [“As Ben-Gurion so often said, the moral high ground is also the basis of power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/as-ben-gurion-so-often-said-the-moral-high-ground-is-also-the-basis/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [“It’s called the real world. If we refused to do business with the morally questionable, the deal volume would drop in half and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-simonson/it-s-called-the-real-world-if-we-refused-to-do-business-with-the/)

[Helen Simonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-simonson/)

> [“The moral high ground to which I aspired had turned into a slippery slope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-alcorn/the-moral-high-ground-to-which-i-aspired-had-turned-into-a-slippery/)

Alfred Alcorn

> ['The Truth' is not meant to preach or point any fingers. It's meant to show that perhaps we should all avoid taking the moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/the-truth-is-not-meant-to-preach-or-point-any-fingers-it-s-meant-to/)

[Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/)

> [For people who never tire of telling the world what a moral high ground they've taken in opposing Donald Trump, they sure don't seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gallagher/for-people-who-never-tire-of-telling-the-world-what-a-moral-high/)

[Mike Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gallagher/)

> [In the Trump era, the Left has smartly and justifiably seized a moral high ground that the Right has abandoned by its embrace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bari-weiss/in-the-trump-era-the-left-has-smartly-and-justifiably-seized-a-moral/)

[Bari Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bari-weiss/)

> [“And the moral high ground is a lovely place,” Marwick said, as if he were agreeing. “It won’t stop a missile, though.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/and-the-moral-high-ground-is-a-lovely-place-marwick-said-as-if-he/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“It was one of those moments when the moral high ground opens and swallows you up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-holt/it-was-one-of-those-moments-when-the-moral-high-ground-opens-and/)

[Tom Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-holt/)

> [I don't regard the real and true and authentic as something to claim as a moral high ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-kushner/i-don-t-regard-the-real-and-true-and-authentic-as-something-to-claim/)

[Rachel Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-kushner/)

> [My father really set the tone for us to be a more moral nation, to take a moral high ground in everything that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/my-father-really-set-the-tone-for-us-to-be-a-more-moral-nation-to/)

[Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/)

> [I don't feel I'm taking the moral high ground, telling people to stop eating animals because I've done it. It just works for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ward/i-don-t-feel-i-m-taking-the-moral-high-ground-telling-people-to-stop/)

[Bill Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ward/)

> [I always say that playing Christ has just made me a better version of myself because I aspire to greater things, to a moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-roumie/i-always-say-that-playing-christ-has-just-made-me-a-better-version-of/)

[Jonathan Roumie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-roumie/)

> [That's how hatred is created: two different groups, each insisting they're on the moral high ground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/that-s-how-hatred-is-created-two-different-groups-each-insisting-they/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

## 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 High ground quotes

> [“The moral high ground proved to be one hell of an aphrodisiac...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-a-floriste/the-moral-high-ground-proved-to-be-one-hell-of-an-aphrodisiac/)

Eve A. Floriste

> [Astrophysicists perfected navigation. We perfected all these things that matter to the power of nations manifest on the world stage. So we want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/astrophysicists-perfected-navigation-we-perfected-all-these-things/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [“Take the high road. People will rise up to join you or fall out of sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/take-the-high-road-people-will-rise-up-to-join-you-or-fall-out-of/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [Set your goals high; make friends with different kinds of people; enjoy simple pleasures. Stand on high ground; sit on level ground; walk on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-ka-shing/set-your-goals-high-make-friends-with-different-kinds-of-people-enjoy/)

[Li Ka-shing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-ka-shing/)

> [I always say that playing Christ has just made me a better version of myself because I aspire to greater things, to a moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-roumie/i-always-say-that-playing-christ-has-just-made-me-a-better-version-of/)

[Jonathan Roumie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-roumie/)

> [“When someone tries to pull you into the mud, remember that they have to get dirty just to reach you; stay on the high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fazal-nasir/when-someone-tries-to-pull-you-into-the-mud-remember-that-they-have/)

Fazal Nasir

> [We have come to think of taking offence as a fundamental right. We value very little more highly than our rage, which gives us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/we-have-come-to-think-of-taking-offence-as-a-fundamental-right-we/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [Few politicians are good at taking the high ground and throwing themselves off it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mandelson/few-politicians-are-good-at-taking-the-high-ground-and-throwing/)

[Peter Mandelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mandelson/)

> [“Things had changed between us in a profound way, something I think we both knew. All our fighting and nitpicking seemed so silly now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-wylde/things-had-changed-between-us-in-a-profound-way-something-i-think-we/)

[Joanna Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-wylde/)

> [I remember my days as a graduate student at Stanford, within any leading university, a very active Israeli support, for Israel, Jews fighting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-barak/i-remember-my-days-as-a-graduate-student-at-stanford-within-any/)

[Ehud Barak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-barak/)

> [“I used to think that was what set me apart, you know? That I always did what I thought was right and didn't give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-mills/i-used-to-think-that-was-what-set-me-apart-you-know-that-i-always-did/)

[Kyle Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-mills/)

> [“You will never overcome your self righteousness if you continue to believe that God prefers you over other people. The moment you feel entitled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-will-never-overcome-your-self-righteousness-if-you-continue-to/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [An e-mail from a reader says that liberals like to take the moral high ground, even though their own moral relativism means that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/an-e-mail-from-a-reader-says-that-liberals-like-to-take-the-moral/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [I don't feel I'm taking the moral high ground, telling people to stop eating animals because I've done it. It just works for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ward/i-don-t-feel-i-m-taking-the-moral-high-ground-telling-people-to-stop/)

[Bill Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ward/)

> [My father really set the tone for us to be a more moral nation, to take a moral high ground in everything that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/my-father-really-set-the-tone-for-us-to-be-a-more-moral-nation-to/)

[Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/)

[Browse all 96 High ground quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-ground/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It was all very well occupying the moral high ground on electoral reform, but what really mattered, she thought, was how you treated your mother.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alexander McCall Smith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral-high-ground-on-electoral/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "High ground"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral-high-ground-on-electoral/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_high-ground_it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral_1875213.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_high-ground_it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral_1875213.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/alexander-mccall-smith-372_high-ground_it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral_1875213.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It was all very well occupying the moral high ground on electoral reform, but what really mattered, she…” — 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 was all very well occupying...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral-high-ground-on-electoral/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-was-all-very-well-occupying-the-moral-high-ground-on-electoral/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
