--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are certain things in a man that…" description: "\"There are certain things in a man that have to be won, not forced; inspired, not compelled. Among these are many, I should say most, of the things that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/alfred-whitney-griswold-25722_certain_there-are-certain-things-in-a-man-that-h_2723682.jpg" --- # There are certain things in a man that have to be won, not… ![“There are certain things in a man that have to be won, not forced; inspired, not compelled. Among these are many, I should say most, of the things that constitute the good life. All are essential to democracy. All are proof against its enemies.” quote by Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/alfred-whitney-griswold-25722_certain_there-are-certain-things-in-a-man-that-h_2723682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/alfred-whitney-griswold-25722_certain_there-are-certain-things-in-a-man-that-h_2723682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cba/alfred-whitney-griswold-25722_certain_there-are-certain-things-in-a-man-that-h_2723682.jpg) > “There are certain things in a man that have to be won, not forced; inspired, not compelled. Among these are many, I should say most, of the things that constitute the good life. All are essential to democracy. All are proof against its enemies.” [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Certain virtues must be earned through effort, not imposed, to sustain a healthy democracy. **In simple terms:** Earned virtues support democracy. Key Takeaway Cultivate virtues through effort, not coercion. Themes democracy virtue freedom citizenship Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical political When to use this quote - community service - political activism - education - public policy Key Concepts ethical development civic responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What virtues are essential for a thriving democracy? - How can societies encourage voluntary virtue? A Different Perspective Forced conformity can breed resentment and undermine freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Good life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [lean water and health care and school and food and tin roofs and cement floor, all of these things should constitute a set of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/lean-water-and-health-care-and-school-and-food-and-tin-roofs-and/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [Providence has decreed that those common acquisitions, money, gems, plate, noble mansions, and dominion, should be sometimes bestowed on the indolent and unworthy; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/providence-has-decreed-that-those-common-acquisitions-money-gems/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [Good laws, if they are not obeyed, do not constitute good government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/good-laws-if-they-are-not-obeyed-do-not-constitute-good-government/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Self-love then does not constitute THIS or THAT to be our interest or good; but, our interest or good being constituted by nature and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-butler/self-love-then-does-not-constitute-this-or-that-to-be-our-interest-or/) [Joseph Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-butler/) > [Nothing can constitute good-breeding that has not good-nature for its foundation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/nothing-can-constitute-good-breeding-that-has-not-good-nature-for-its/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [The institution of representative government to us seems an essential part of democracy, but the ancients never thought of it. Its immense merit was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-institution-of-representative-government-to-us-seems-an-essential/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Dissent honestly is essential for a democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-mathur/dissent-honestly-is-essential-for-a-democracy/) [Arjun Mathur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-mathur/) > [A free and open Internet is essential to our democracy, economy, and modern way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-polis/a-free-and-open-internet-is-essential-to-our-democracy-economy-and/) [Jared Polis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-polis/) > [I am more convinced than ever that a lively two party system is essential to our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stockwell-day/i-am-more-convinced-than-ever-that-a-lively-two-party-system-is/) [Stockwell Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stockwell-day/) > [As far as domestic democracy, all here present know that democracy means government of the people by the people. While we agree that consultation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-maurice-de-zayas/as-far-as-domestic-democracy-all-here-present-know-that-democracy/) [Alfred-Maurice de Zayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-maurice-de-zayas/) > [The Postal Service is essential to our democracy, economy, and health care system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-padilla/the-postal-service-is-essential-to-our-democracy-economy-and-health/) [Alex Padilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-padilla/) > [As a journalist, I fundamentally believe that keeping the public informed is an essential part of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-brennan/as-a-journalist-i-fundamentally-believe-that-keeping-the-public/) [Margaret Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-brennan/) > [I think it is absolutely essential in a democracy to have competition in the media, a lot of competition, and we seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-think-it-is-absolutely-essential-in-a-democracy-to-have-competition/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The capacity to combine commitment with skepticism is essential to democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-catherine-bateson/the-capacity-to-combine-commitment-with-skepticism-is-essential-to/) [Mary Catherine Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-catherine-bateson/) > [A full and fair discussion is essential to democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/a-full-and-fair-discussion-is-essential-to-democracy/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) ## More by Alfred Whitney Griswold > [The source of better ideas is wisdom. The surest path to wisdom is a liberal education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/the-source-of-better-ideas-is-wisdom-the-surest-path-to-wisdom-is-a/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [It is a barren kind of criticism which tells you what a thing is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/it-is-a-barren-kind-of-criticism-which-tells-you-what-a-thing-is-not/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/books-won-t-stay-banned-they-won-t-burn-ideas-won-t-go-to-jail/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [This man, Comrades, has a nice smile, but he has iron teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/this-man-comrades-has-a-nice-smile-but-he-has-iron-teeth/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [If appeasing our enemies is not the answer, neither is hating them… Somewhere between the extremes of appeasement and hate there is a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/if-appeasing-our-enemies-is-not-the-answer-neither-is-hating-them/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [Could Hamlet have been written bya committee, or the Mona Lisa painted by a club? Could the NewTestament have been composed as a conference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/could-hamlet-have-been-written-bya-committee-or-the-mona-lisa-painted/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [The liberal arts inform and enlighten the independent citizen of a democracy in the use of his own resources… They enlarge his capacity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/the-liberal-arts-inform-and-enlighten-the-independent-citizen-of-a/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [Self-respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale. It cannot be fabricated out of public relations. It comes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/self-respect-cannot-be-hunted-it-cannot-be-purchased-it-is-never-for-2/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [Certain things we cannot accomplish... by any process of government. We cannot legislate intelligence. We cannot legislate morality. No, and we cannot legislate loyalty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/certain-things-we-cannot-accomplish-by-any-process-of-government-we/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [Could Hamlet have been written by a committee, or the "Mona Lisa" painted by a club? Could the New Testament have been composed as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/could-hamlet-have-been-written-by-a-committee-or-the-mona-lisa/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [Liberal learning is both a safeguard against false ideas of freedom and a source of true ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/liberal-learning-is-both-a-safeguard-against-false-ideas-of-freedom/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [A Socrates in every classroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/a-socrates-in-every-classroom/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [Things have got to be wrong in order that they may be deplored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/things-have-got-to-be-wrong-in-order-that-they-may-be-deplored/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [The divine spark leaps from the finger of God to the finger of Adam, whether it takes ultimate shape in a law of physics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/the-divine-spark-leaps-from-the-finger-of-god-to-the-finger-of-adam/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [There are certain things that we can accomplish by law and there are certain things that we cannot accomplish by law or by any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/there-are-certain-things-that-we-can-accomplish-by-law-and-there-are/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) [Explore all 22 Alfred Whitney Griswold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) T. H. 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But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are certain things in a man that have to be won, not forced; inspired, not compelled. Among these are many, I should say most, of the things that constitute the good life. All are essential to democracy. 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