--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem, of course, was that people…" description: "\"The problem, of course, was that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded about this, becau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/alexander-mccall-smith-372_bother_the-problem-of-course-was-that-people-di_2814533.png" --- # The problem, of course, was that people did not seem to… ![“The problem, of course, was that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded about this, because if you left it to them to work out for themselves, they would never bother. They would just find out what was best for them, and then they would…” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/alexander-mccall-smith-372_bother_the-problem-of-course-was-that-people-di_2814533.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/alexander-mccall-smith-372_bother_the-problem-of-course-was-that-people-di_2814533.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/alexander-mccall-smith-372_bother_the-problem-of-course-was-that-people-di_2814533.png) > “The problem, of course, was that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded about this, because if you left it to them to work out for themselves, they would never bother. They would just find out what was best for them, and then they would call that the right thing. That's how most people thought.” [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. People need guidance to distinguish right from wrong; otherwise they self‑justify. **In simple terms:** Guidance prevents moral confusion. Key Takeaway Provide clear ethical frameworks. Themes morality guidance education Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - school curricula - corporate ethics - parenting - legal systems Key Concepts ethical theory social responsibility cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How can you teach moral reasoning without dictating? - What role does personal conscience play? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance can stifle personal moral growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/) [Difference Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference-right-242219/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needed/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-did/) [People Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-thought/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) [Wrong Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-needed-1634284/) ## Related quotes > [“The problem was, of course, that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. 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'Man, why did you need Initiation—by the Golden Dawn, or by anybody else?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/you-know-the-difference-between-right-and-wrong-he-repeated-finally/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [Discernment is not a matter of telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/discernment-is-not-a-matter-of-telling-the-difference-between-right/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“There are more than 2 sides to a coin, as in Heads and Tails, just like a story. The difference is between the Right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khun-jeff-robertson/there-are-more-than-2-sides-to-a-coin-as-in-heads-and-tails-just-like/) [Khun Jeff Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khun-jeff-robertson/) > [You must know the difference between right and wrong in order to give the correct answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786-correction-by-jacobusmaximus/you-must-know-the-difference-between-right-and-wrong-in-order-to-give/) [Mak\_786 Correction By Jacobusmaximus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786-correction-by-jacobusmaximus/) > [The thing I would most like to see invented is a way of teaching children and grown-ups the difference between right and wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maxwell/the-thing-i-would-most-like-to-see-invented-is-a-way-of-teaching/) [Robert Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maxwell/) > [“I know the difference between right and wrong. Right is when I do everything he tells me to. Wrong is when I question why.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlenne-susan-girard/i-know-the-difference-between-right-and-wrong-right-is-when-i-do/) [Darlenne Susan Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlenne-susan-girard/) > [“She had noticed that there was a tendency on the part of some Americans to believe that everybody, deep inside, wanted to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-noticed-that-there-was-a-tendency-on-the-part-of-some/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He was one of those people, she thought, who just seemed to know a great deal. And he spoke so wisely, as if had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-was-one-of-those-people-she-thought-who-just-seemed-to-know-a/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mma Ramotswe had been thinking a great deal recently about how people might be fitted in. 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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. 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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? 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All that celebrity tagging doesn't bother me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-price/people-are-people-all-that-celebrity-tagging-doesn-t-bother-me-at-all/) [Katie Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-price/) [Browse all 1,604 Bother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bother/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem, of course, was that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded about this, because if you left it to them to work out for themselves, they would never bother. They would just find out what was best for them, and then they would call that the right thing. 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