--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem was, of course, that people…" description: "\"“The problem was, of course, that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded of this, because..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/alexander-mccall-smith-372_right-and-wrong_the-problem-was-of-course-that-people-di_943935.png" --- # The problem was, of course, that people did not seem to… ![“The problem was, of course, that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded of 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 they would call that…” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/alexander-mccall-smith-372_right-and-wrong_the-problem-was-of-course-that-people-di_943935.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/alexander-mccall-smith-372_right-and-wrong_the-problem-was-of-course-that-people-di_943935.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/alexander-mccall-smith-372_right-and-wrong_the-problem-was-of-course-that-people-di_943935.png) > ““The problem was, of course, that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded of 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 they would call that the right thing.”” [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 often confuse personal convenience with moral rightness, needing external reminders to distinguish ethical choices. **In simple terms:** People need guidance to tell right from wrong. Key Takeaway Seek moral clarity beyond self‑interest. Themes ethics responsibility societal norms Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - personal decisions - public policy - education - leadership Key Concepts moral relativism ethical guidance Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate personal benefit from ethical duty? - What role should society play in moral education? A Different Perspective Moral judgments can be subjective and culturally dependent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-did/) [Reminded Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reminded-left-1634285/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) [Wrong Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-needed-1634284/) ## Related quotes > [The problem, of course, was that people did not seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. They needed to be reminded about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-problem-of-course-was-that-people-did-not-seem-to-understand-the/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [Twice we stood beside each other at the altar, Rosie. Twice. And twice we got it wrong. I needed you to be there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/twice-we-stood-beside-each-other-at-the-altar-rosie-twice-and-twice/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [“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/) > [“Sometimes, there is no right thing. Sometimes wrong wins, and that’s okay. Life can’t be distilled down to right and wrong. It’s all about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pippa-dacosta/sometimes-there-is-no-right-thing-sometimes-wrong-wins-and-that-s/) [Pippa DaCosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pippa-dacosta/) > [“In the simple moral maxim the Marine Corps teaches — do the right thing, for the right reason — no exception exists that says:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-rushing/in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-corps-teaches-do-the-right-thing/) [Josh Rushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-rushing/) > [In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-any-moment-of-decision-the-best-thing-you-can-do-is-the-right/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Right and wrong are both very subjective, it's all grey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/right-and-wrong-are-both-very-subjective-it-s-all-grey/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [Right is right and wrong is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-owens/right-is-right-and-wrong-is-wrong/) [Terrell Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-owens/) > [“When everything was right, something was bound to go wrong. (Jessica)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-a-thompson/when-everything-was-right-something-was-bound-to-go-wrong-jessica/) [Shannon A. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-a-thompson/) > [There is real confusion about what it means to be right and wrong - the difference between what spiritual beliefs are and what science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-randall/there-is-real-confusion-about-what-it-means-to-be-right-and-wrong-the/) [Lisa Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-randall/) > [“Right and wrong are very complicated; sometimes I get confused which one to follow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/right-and-wrong-are-very-complicated-sometimes-i-get-confused-which/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Right and wrong do not exist in graphic design. There is only effective and non-effective communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bilak/right-and-wrong-do-not-exist-in-graphic-design-there-is-only/) [Peter Bilak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bilak/) > [I didn't get down on myself even when a lot of people did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-hood/i-didn-t-get-down-on-myself-even-when-a-lot-of-people-did/) [Rodney Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-hood/) > [If people did not love one another, I really don't see what use there would be in having any spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/if-people-did-not-love-one-another-i-really-don-t-see-what-use-there/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Prayer. That was what people did when there was nothing else left to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-flyte/prayer-that-was-what-people-did-when-there-was-nothing-else-left-to-do/) [Magnus Flyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-flyte/) ## 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. 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