--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All men, or most men, wish what is noble…" description: "\"All men, or most men, wish what is noble but choose what is profitable; and while it is noble to render a service not with an eye to receiving one in r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/aristotle-78_eye_all-men-or-most-men-wish-what-is-noble-b_793472.jpg" --- # All men, or most men, wish what is noble but choose what… ![“All men, or most men, wish what is noble but choose what is profitable; and while it is noble to render a service not with an eye to receiving one in return, it is profitable to receive one. One ought therefore, if one can, to return the equivalent of services received, and to do so willingly; for…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/aristotle-78_eye_all-men-or-most-men-wish-what-is-noble-b_793472.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/aristotle-78_eye_all-men-or-most-men-wish-what-is-noble-b_793472.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/aristotle-78_eye_all-men-or-most-men-wish-what-is-noble-b_793472.jpg) > “All men, or most men, wish what is noble but choose what is profitable; and while it is noble to render a service not with an eye to receiving one in return, it is profitable to receive one. One ought therefore, if one can, to return the equivalent of services received, and to do so willingly; for one ought not to make a man one's friend if one is unwilling to return his favors.” [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People prefer profit over virtue, yet true generosity expects reciprocal goodwill. **In simple terms:** Nobility vs profit, with reciprocal generosity. Key Takeaway Balance self‑interest with sincere giving. Themes ethics human nature reciprocity Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - friendship - business negotiations - community building Key Concepts Virtue ethics self‑interest social contract Questions to Reflect On - Do you give expecting returns? - How does reciprocity shape trust? A Different Perspective Pure altruism may be exploited without mutual expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [One ought not to return injustice, nor do evil to anybody in the world, no matter what one may have suffered from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/one-ought-not-to-return-injustice-nor-do-evil-to-anybody-in-the-world/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [That which occasions so many mistakes in the computations of men, when they expect return for favors, is that the giver's pride and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/that-which-occasions-so-many-mistakes-in-the-computations-of-men-when/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It's normal for people, especially politicians, to expect rewards in return for favors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/it-s-normal-for-people-especially-politicians-to-expect-rewards-in/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [There's actually a lot of evidence in primates and other animals that they return favors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/there-s-actually-a-lot-of-evidence-in-primates-and-other-animals-that/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Often, equipment can as easily function as a security blanket for musicians unwilling or unable to risk anything personal in the studio. 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Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The body is at its best between the ages of thirty and thirty-five; the mind is at its best about the age of forty-nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-body-is-at-its-best-between-the-ages-of-thirty-and-thirty-five/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The ensouled is distinguished from the unsouled by its being alive. 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He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/he-blinked-his-eyes-fell-as-he-processed-her-response-then-he-lifted/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. 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And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [Quotations can be valuable, like raisins in the rice pudding, for adding iron as well as eye appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-bracken/quotations-can-be-valuable-like-raisins-in-the-rice-pudding-for/) [Peg Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-bracken/) > [Clearly, when we baptize, our eyes should gaze beyond the baptismal font to the holy temple. The great garner into which the sheaves should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/clearly-when-we-baptize-our-eyes-should-gaze-beyond-the-baptismal/) [Neal A. 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They were made of kindness, and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/liesel-observed-the-strangeness-of-her-foster-father-s-eyes-they-were/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) Browse all 16,237 Eye quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All men, or most men, wish what is noble but choose what is profitable; and while it is noble to render a service not with an eye to receiving one in return, it is profitable to receive one. 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