--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: . . . if gold rust, what then will iron…" description: "\". . . if gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a priest be foul in whom we trust/ No wonder that a common man should rust. . . .\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/anonymous-1_common_if-gold-rust-what-then-will-iron-do-for_1941567.jpg" --- # . . . if gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a… ![“. . . if gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a priest be foul in whom we trust/ No wonder that a common man should rust. . . .” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/anonymous-1_common_if-gold-rust-what-then-will-iron-do-for_1941567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/anonymous-1_common_if-gold-rust-what-then-will-iron-do-for_1941567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/anonymous-1_common_if-gold-rust-what-then-will-iron-do-for_1941567.jpg) > “. . . if gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a priest be foul in whom we trust/ No wonder that a common man should rust. . . .” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that if something valuable (gold) can decay, then even more common things (iron) will also deteriorate, especially when trust is betrayed. **In simple terms:** If gold can rust, iron will too; trust broken leads to decay. Key Takeaway Guard trust and integrity to prevent widespread decay. Themes trust decay integrity corruption Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership - community trust - ethical decision making Key Concepts moral decay trust erosion symbolism Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain trust in institutions? - What signs indicate decay in a relationship? A Different Perspective It assumes literal rusting, ignoring metaphorical context and possible poetic exaggeration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-man/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [Trouble is to man what rust is to iron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiddish-proverb/trouble-is-to-man-what-rust-is-to-iron/) Yiddish Proverb > [Idleness is to the human mind like rust to iron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-cornell/idleness-is-to-the-human-mind-like-rust-to-iron/) [Ezra Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-cornell/) > [“Het hinderde me dat hij zijn klaarheid en rust alweer had teruggewonnen terwijl er in mij nog zoveel ergernis was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/het-hinderde-me-dat-hij-zijn-klaarheid-en-rust-alweer-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I do not think I exaggerate when I say that some of us put our offering in the plate with a kind of triumphant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-do-not-think-i-exaggerate-when-i-say-that-some-of-us-put-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What(S) A Relations(H)ip W(I)thout (T)rust?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-s-a-relations-h-ip-w-i-thout-t-rust/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The soul is made for action, and cannot rest till it be employed. 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