--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... it is a lonely programme. The very…" description: "\"... it is a lonely programme. The very virtues you cultivate become walls that inevitably separate you from your kind… A new danger comes to your soul,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alice-foote-macdougall-17624_barriers_it-is-a-lonely-programme-the-very-virtue_2757057.jpg" --- # ... it is a lonely programme. The very virtues you… ![“... it is a lonely programme. The very virtues you cultivate become walls that inevitably separate you from your kind… A new danger comes to your soul, and intolerance and impatience with those who are as you have been all but destroy that which you have taken such pains to build up. Not alone are…” quote by Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alice-foote-macdougall-17624_barriers_it-is-a-lonely-programme-the-very-virtue_2757057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alice-foote-macdougall-17624_barriers_it-is-a-lonely-programme-the-very-virtue_2757057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alice-foote-macdougall-17624_barriers_it-is-a-lonely-programme-the-very-virtue_2757057.jpg) > “... it is a lonely programme. The very virtues you cultivate become walls that inevitably separate you from your kind… A new danger comes to your soul, and intolerance and impatience with those who are as you have been all but destroy that which you have taken such pains to build up. Not alone are there spiritual barriers between you and the friends that you have, but your business training has made your mind incisive. In the swift rush of business you have no time for small debates and petty dilemmas.” [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal virtues can become barriers, creating spiritual and social isolation, especially when business demands limit time for small debates. **In simple terms:** Virtues may isolate you socially. Key Takeaway Balance virtue with openness. Themes spirituality social isolation business culture Mood introspective concerned Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - self-help - philosophy - business Key Concepts personal growth professional boundaries Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay open while maintaining high standards? - What practices prevent spiritual isolation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on virtue can hinder collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Dilemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilemma/) [Impatience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatience/) [Intolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerance/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Not alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-alone/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Your soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-soul/) ## Related quotes > [“Meditation has become such a common element of business training that more than a thousand Googlers attended a training program called, Search Inside Yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/meditation-has-become-such-a-common-element-of-business-training-that/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I've built 'The Conversation' from the ground up with no business training.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-de-cadenet/i-ve-built-the-conversation-from-the-ground-up-with-no-business/) [Amanda de Cadenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-de-cadenet/) > [“One of the problems is that our traditional educational system—and most of our business training—reward focus and execution, limiting the opportunity to become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joi-ito/one-of-the-problems-is-that-our-traditional-educational-system-and/) [Joi Ito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joi-ito/) > [I should say in general the advantage of education is to better fit a man for life's work. I would advise young men to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/i-should-say-in-general-the-advantage-of-education-is-to-better-fit-a/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [... business training in early life should not be regarded solely as insurance against destitution in the case of an emergency. For from business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hortense-odlum/business-training-in-early-life-should-not-be-regarded-solely-as/) [Hortense Odlum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hortense-odlum/) > [Businesses that distribute information and news are in the business of training and teaching people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/businesses-that-distribute-information-and-news-are-in-the-business/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our friends have nothing to do with the business. Some of our closest friends in Florida are not stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-preston/our-friends-have-nothing-to-do-with-the-business-some-of-our-closest/) [Kelly Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-preston/) > [I will always recommend Goodwin & Thyne Properties to all my friends and business associates, thank you for going over and beyond the call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-romano/i-will-always-recommend-goodwin-thyne-properties-to-all-my-friends/) Andy Romano > [A lot of my close friends are nothing to do with show business. But the people I've had relationships with, invariably, I've worked with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-kendal/a-lot-of-my-close-friends-are-nothing-to-do-with-show-business-but/) [Felicity Kendal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-kendal/) > [I learned a long time ago, if you want to keep your friends in show business, don't get famous. Because as soon as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/i-learned-a-long-time-ago-if-you-want-to-keep-your-friends-in-show/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) > [CrossFit is how I met my best friends, business partners, and even my wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-fraser/crossfit-is-how-i-met-my-best-friends-business-partners-and-even-my/) [Mat Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-fraser/) > [I've had a lot of friends in the business that got out earlier than normal. They tell me they got out too early and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/i-ve-had-a-lot-of-friends-in-the-business-that-got-out-earlier-than/) [LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/) > [What makes us so often discontented with those who transact business for us is that they almost always abandon the interest of their friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/what-makes-us-so-often-discontented-with-those-who-transact-business/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [I have friends in this business who put pictures of their kids on Facebook. That's not something I would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burr/i-have-friends-in-this-business-who-put-pictures-of-their-kids-on/) [Bill Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burr/) > [Tyrese is one of my best friends in the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginuwine/tyrese-is-one-of-my-best-friends-in-the-business/) [Ginuwine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginuwine/) ## More by Alice Foote MacDougall > [It takes real courage to do battle in the unspectacular task. We always listen for the applause of our co-workers. He is courageous who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/it-takes-real-courage-to-do-battle-in-the-unspectacular-task-we/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [Commercialism is the blemish on the fair face of American life. Fighting against the terrible conditions of the explorer and pioneer, our forefathers had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/commercialism-is-the-blemish-on-the-fair-face-of-american-life/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [Not only is orderliness an economy; it produces rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/not-only-is-orderliness-an-economy-it-produces-rest/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [... the deep experience of the lonely climb on the mountain of success brings a wealth beyond power to compute. To you all suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/the-deep-experience-of-the-lonely-climb-on-the-mountain-of-success/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [Imagination is a valuable asset in business and she has a sister, Understanding, who also serves. Together they make a splendid team and business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/imagination-is-a-valuable-asset-in-business-and-she-has-a-sister/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [for the poor the whole world is a self-constituted critic; your smallest action is open to debate. No secret place of your soul is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/for-the-poor-the-whole-world-is-a-self-constituted-critic-your/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [Life is beset by many annoyances, and those that stand out above all are the life- insurance and advertising agents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/life-is-beset-by-many-annoyances-and-those-that-stand-out-above-all/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [Poverty is relative, and the lack of food and of the necessities of life is not necessarily a hardship. Spiritual and social ostracism, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/poverty-is-relative-and-the-lack-of-food-and-of-the-necessities-of/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [Much of the success of life depends upon keeping one's mind open to opportunity and seizing it when it comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/much-of-the-success-of-life-depends-upon-keeping-one-s-mind-open-to/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [When one is working out a problem ... life becomes duality. One's ego transacts the ordinary routine of things, as if the mind had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/when-one-is-working-out-a-problem-life-becomes-duality-one-s-ego/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [When one is altering the face of the universe one cannot remember small helpful acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/when-one-is-altering-the-face-of-the-universe-one-cannot-remember/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [... hunger and cold, ill-health and pain are nothing. They pass. The thing that remains is ignorant criticism, well-meaning but futile advice, the contempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/hunger-and-cold-ill-health-and-pain-are-nothing-they-pass-the-thing/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [In business everyone is out to grab, to fight, to win. Either you are the under or the over dog. It is up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/in-business-everyone-is-out-to-grab-to-fight-to-win-either-you-are/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [Perhaps nothing in all my business has helped me more than faith in my fellow man. From the very first I felt confident that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/perhaps-nothing-in-all-my-business-has-helped-me-more-than-faith-in/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) > [Competition is. In every business, no matter how small or how large, someone is just around the corner forever trying to steal your ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-foote-macdougall/competition-is-in-every-business-no-matter-how-small-or-how-large/) [Alice Foote MacDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) [Explore all 36 Alice Foote MacDougall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-foote-macdougall/) ## More Barriers quotes > [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The gear you can't afford is not the barrier keeping you from success. Gear has very little to do with photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-jarvis/the-gear-you-can-t-afford-is-not-the-barrier-keeping-you-from-success/) [Chase Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-jarvis/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [Security is a component of everyday life that one spending time in Washington, D.C., gets accustomed to. Metal detectors, police vehicle barriers and heavily-armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-crapo/security-is-a-component-of-everyday-life-that-one-spending-time-in/) [Mike Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-crapo/) > [The biggest obstacles to our progress exist within our own lives in the form of cowardice and the tendency to give up. Breaking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/the-biggest-obstacles-to-our-progress-exist-within-our-own-lives-in/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-feel-that-there-are-a-few-things-in-the-world-without-cultural/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions. In the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/english-literature-is-a-glorious-inheritance-which-is-open-to-all/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [I've cosponsored legislation to establish a lend-lease program to simplify bureaucratic barriers and allow a speedier transfer of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/i-ve-cosponsored-legislation-to-establish-a-lend-lease-program-to/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Don't be afraid of what you want. This is your time. The barriers are down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/don-t-be-afraid-of-what-you-want-this-is-your-time-the-barriers-are/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [Fear is the single biggest barrier to creativity. Unless we're brave enough to risk looking foolish, we'll inevitably find ourselves sticking to the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-linkner/fear-is-the-single-biggest-barrier-to-creativity-unless-we-re-brave/) [Josh Linkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-linkner/) > [He looked at my lips. I suddenly found myself wanting to lick his. 'Yes,' he replied, his eyes going molten. My breath caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/he-looked-at-my-lips-i-suddenly-found-myself-wanting-to-lick-his-yes/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [What do you have to surrender? A drop has to dissolve into the ocean to become the ocean. And a drop cannot be greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/what-do-you-have-to-surrender-a-drop-has-to-dissolve-into-the-ocean/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [“One way to generate a precise customer value proposition is to think about the four most common barriers keeping people from getting particular jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-johnson/one-way-to-generate-a-precise-customer-value-proposition-is-to-think/) [Mark W. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-johnson/) [Browse all 1,191 Barriers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "... it is a lonely programme. 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