---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The big question about how people behave…"
description: "\"“The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an Inn..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/alice-schroeder-31297_quote_the-big-question-about-how-people-behave_1339781.jpg"
---

#  The big question about how people behave is whether…

![“The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an Inner Scorecard. I always pose it this way. I say: ‘Lookit. Would you rather be the world’s greatest lover, but have everyone think you’re the world’s…” quote by Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/alice-schroeder-31297_quote_the-big-question-about-how-people-behave_1339781.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/alice-schroeder-31297_quote_the-big-question-about-how-people-behave_1339781.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/alice-schroeder-31297_quote_the-big-question-about-how-people-behave_1339781.jpg)

> ““The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an Inner Scorecard. I always pose it this way. I say: ‘Lookit. Would you rather be the world’s greatest lover, but have everyone think you’re the world’s worst lover? Or would you rather be the world’s worst lover but have everyone think you’re the world’s greatest lover?’ Now, that’s an interesting question.””

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People can base self‑worth on internal values or external validation; internal alignment yields true satisfaction.

**In simple terms:** Choose inner standards over outer approval.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate an inner scorecard.

Themes

self‑esteem values validation

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- team dynamics
- public speaking

Key Concepts

psychology leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you know your core values?
- How does external feedback affect your decisions?

A Different Perspective

External approval can be persuasive and hard to resist.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [The big question about how people behave is whether they've got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It helps if you can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-big-question-about-how-people-behave-is-whether-they-ve-got-an-2/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [Measure your success by your inner scorecard versus an outer one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/measure-your-success-by-your-inner-scorecard-versus-an-outer-one/)

[Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/)

> [During rehearsals I am confronted by things very mysterious. I have terrific fights with inner demons, and it's more painful than it ever was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-moreau/during-rehearsals-i-am-confronted-by-things-very-mysterious-i-have/)

[Jeanne Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-moreau/)

> [Reading English novels I always adore the ability to write without fear about inner psychological things that are so delicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/reading-english-novels-i-always-adore-the-ability-to-write-without/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [We try and banish whole inner realms. Sometimes, you have to touch the thing inside you're most afraid of and see what happens when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arca/we-try-and-banish-whole-inner-realms-sometimes-you-have-to-touch-the/)

[Arca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arca/)

> [The things I do outside of playing the piano are done out of an inner necessity, not just because I want to try my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/the-things-i-do-outside-of-playing-the-piano-are-done-out-of-an-inner/)

[Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/)

> [I personally think we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/i-personally-think-we-developed-language-because-of-our-deep-inner/)

[Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/)

> [Fashion is what people tell you to wear. Style is what comes from your own inner thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-trigere/fashion-is-what-people-tell-you-to-wear-style-is-what-comes-from-your/)

[Pauline Trigere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-trigere/)

> [I think it's important not to grow up too fast. I'm 26 now, and I still can't wait for Christmas Day. The inner seven-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-haddock/i-think-it-s-important-not-to-grow-up-too-fast-i-m-26-now-and-i-still/)

[Laura Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-haddock/)

> [Neurosis is an inner cleavage-the state of being at war with oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/neurosis-is-an-inner-cleavage-the-state-of-being-at-war-with-oneself/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [You've always got to have that inner confidence in you. That's where it all starts. You're gong to have good days, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/you-ve-always-got-to-have-that-inner-confidence-in-you-that-s-where/)

[Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/)

> [“Decorate your inner dreams with love, light and laughter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginny-toole/decorate-your-inner-dreams-with-love-light-and-laughter/)

Ginny Toole

> [The beauty of a person is not what the outside carries but it what the inner part carries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-beauty-of-a-person-is-not-what-the-outside-carries-but-it-what/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Only the balance of the scale, bedded love in the shells, teaches us to find the inner self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/only-the-balance-of-the-scale-bedded-love-in-the-shells-teaches-us-to/)

Sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann

> [Growing up in inner-city neighborhoods, there's a particular structure, which I'm sure is true of most social contexts. The type of person you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/growing-up-in-inner-city-neighborhoods-there-s-a-particular-structure/)

[Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/)

## More by Alice Schroeder

> [“Lose money for the firm, and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation for the firm, and I will be ruthless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/lose-money-for-the-firm-and-i-will-be-understanding-lose-a-shred-of/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/there-are-two-ideas-of-government-there-are-those-who-believe-that-if/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” This was the time to be greedy.33”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/be-fearful-when-others-are-greedy-and-greedy-when-others-are-fearful/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“The ideal business is one that earns very high returns on capital and that keeps using lots of capital at those high returns. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/the-ideal-business-is-one-that-earns-very-high-returns-on-capital-and/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“Basically, when you get to my age, you'll really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/basically-when-you-get-to-my-age-you-ll-really-measure-your-success-2/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“He has a really consistent routine. He comes in in the morning at around 8:30. He reads five newspapers. He reads The Financial Times,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/he-has-a-really-consistent-routine-he-comes-in-in-the-morning-at/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“The modern Berkshire Hathaway that he had created churned out new beads for the rosary almost like a clockwork. Buffett’s hunt for things to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/the-modern-berkshire-hathaway-that-he-had-created-churned-out-new/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“Who’s my most valuable client?’ And he decided it was himself. So he decided to sell himself an hour each day. He did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/who-s-my-most-valuable-client-and-he-decided-it-was-himself-so-he/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“Remember one thing, Warren: Money isn’t making that much difference in how you and I live. We’re both going down to the cafeteria for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/remember-one-thing-warren-money-isn-t-making-that-much-difference-in/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“You should never, when facing some unbelievable tragedy, let one tragedy increase into two or three through your failure of will,” he would later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/you-should-never-when-facing-some-unbelievable-tragedy-let-one/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/time-is-the-friend-of-the-wonderful-business-the-enemy-of-the-mediocre/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“allies are essential; that commitments are so sacred that by nature they should be rare; and that grandstanding rarely gets anything done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/allies-are-essential-that-commitments-are-so-sacred-that-by-nature/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“On me personally what has been the most important was to understand the value of time -- and this is something that has come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/on-me-personally-what-has-been-the-most-important-was-to-understand/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“if you thought of yourself as having a card with only twenty punches in a lifetime, and every financial decision used up one punch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/if-you-thought-of-yourself-as-having-a-card-with-only-twenty-punches/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

> [“At age forty-seven, Warren had already accomplished everything he had ever imagined he could want. He was worth $72 million. He ran a company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/at-age-forty-seven-warren-had-already-accomplished-everything-he-had/)

[Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

[Explore all 16 Alice Schroeder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/)

## More Inner quotes

> [Growing up in inner-city neighborhoods, there's a particular structure, which I'm sure is true of most social contexts. The type of person you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/growing-up-in-inner-city-neighborhoods-there-s-a-particular-structure/)

[Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/)

> [“Only the balance of the scale, bedded love in the shells, teaches us to find the inner self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/only-the-balance-of-the-scale-bedded-love-in-the-shells-teaches-us-to/)

Sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann

> [The beauty of a person is not what the outside carries but it what the inner part carries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-beauty-of-a-person-is-not-what-the-outside-carries-but-it-what/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Decorate your inner dreams with love, light and laughter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginny-toole/decorate-your-inner-dreams-with-love-light-and-laughter/)

Ginny Toole

> [You've always got to have that inner confidence in you. That's where it all starts. You're gong to have good days, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/you-ve-always-got-to-have-that-inner-confidence-in-you-that-s-where/)

[Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/)

> [Neurosis is an inner cleavage-the state of being at war with oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/neurosis-is-an-inner-cleavage-the-state-of-being-at-war-with-oneself/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [I think it's important not to grow up too fast. I'm 26 now, and I still can't wait for Christmas Day. The inner seven-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-haddock/i-think-it-s-important-not-to-grow-up-too-fast-i-m-26-now-and-i-still/)

[Laura Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-haddock/)

> [Fashion is what people tell you to wear. Style is what comes from your own inner thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-trigere/fashion-is-what-people-tell-you-to-wear-style-is-what-comes-from-your/)

[Pauline Trigere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-trigere/)

> [I personally think we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/i-personally-think-we-developed-language-because-of-our-deep-inner/)

[Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/)

> [The things I do outside of playing the piano are done out of an inner necessity, not just because I want to try my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/the-things-i-do-outside-of-playing-the-piano-are-done-out-of-an-inner/)

[Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/)

> [We try and banish whole inner realms. Sometimes, you have to touch the thing inside you're most afraid of and see what happens when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arca/we-try-and-banish-whole-inner-realms-sometimes-you-have-to-touch-the/)

[Arca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arca/)

> [Reading English novels I always adore the ability to write without fear about inner psychological things that are so delicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-tokarczuk/reading-english-novels-i-always-adore-the-ability-to-write-without/)

[Olga Tokarczuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-tokarczuk/)

> [During rehearsals I am confronted by things very mysterious. I have terrific fights with inner demons, and it's more painful than it ever was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-moreau/during-rehearsals-i-am-confronted-by-things-very-mysterious-i-have/)

[Jeanne Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-moreau/)

> [Making the inner meet the outer is the function of the artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/making-the-inner-meet-the-outer-is-the-function-of-the-artist/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

> [Seen in its own right, a loving person's inner spirit is an angel of heaven, and while we are living in the body we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/seen-in-its-own-right-a-loving-person-s-inner-spirit-is-an-angel-of/)

[Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/)

Browse all 803 Inner quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an Inner Scorecard. I always pose it this way. I say: ‘Lookit. Would you rather be the world’s greatest lover, but have everyone think you’re the world’s worst lover? Or would you rather be the world’s worst lover but have everyone think you’re the world’s greatest lover?’ Now, that’s an interesting question.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alice Schroeder"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/the-big-question-about-how-people-behave-is-whether-they-ve-got-an/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Inner"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/the-big-question-about-how-people-behave-is-whether-they-ve-got-an/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/alice-schroeder-31297_quote_the-big-question-about-how-people-behave_1339781.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/alice-schroeder-31297_quote_the-big-question-about-how-people-behave_1339781.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/alice-schroeder-31297_quote_the-big-question-about-how-people-behave_1339781.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It…” — Alice Schroeder",
                "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": "Alice Schroeder",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The big question about how people...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/the-big-question-about-how-people-behave-is-whether-they-ve-got-an/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/the-big-question-about-how-people-behave-is-whether-they-ve-got-an/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
