---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Really high-minded people are indifferent…"
description: "\"Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness, especially other people's.\" — Bertrand Russell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/bertrand-russell-69_eugenics_really-high-minded-people-are-indifferen_1848988.jpg"
---

#  Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness…

![“Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness, especially other people's.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/bertrand-russell-69_eugenics_really-high-minded-people-are-indifferen_1848988.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/bertrand-russell-69_eugenics_really-high-minded-people-are-indifferen_1848988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/bertrand-russell-69_eugenics_really-high-minded-people-are-indifferen_1848988.jpg)

> “Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness, especially other people's.”

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

## About This Quote

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

People who pursue lofty ideas often neglect personal happiness and the happiness of others.

**In simple terms:** High ideals can ignore personal and others' joy.

Key Takeaway

Balance intellectual pursuits with emotional well‑being.

Themes

philosophy happiness indifference

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- academic work
- political activism
- personal relationships

Key Concepts

existentialism ethical responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How can one stay compassionate while pursuing high ideals?
- What practices nurture personal joy?

A Different Perspective

Intellectual focus can lead to isolation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Eugenics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eugenics/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Science and society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-and-society/)

## Related quotes

> [If a Black Death could be spread throughout the world once in every generation survivors could procreate freely without making the world too full.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-a-black-death-could-be-spread-throughout-the-world-once-in-every/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [There are three ways of securing a society that shall be stable as regards population. The first is that of birth control, the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-are-three-ways-of-securing-a-society-that-shall-be-stable-as/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“I desire nothing, seek nothing but peace, the slumber of the soul. I have tasted all the hollowness and wretchedness of life and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-goncharov/i-desire-nothing-seek-nothing-but-peace-the-slumber-of-the-soul-i/)

[Ivan Goncharov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-goncharov/)

> [Gradually, by selective breeding, the congenital differences between rulers and ruled will increase until they become almost different species. A revolt of the plebs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/gradually-by-selective-breeding-the-congenital-differences-between/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is mass psychology… Its importance has been enormously increased by the growth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-the-subject-which-will-be-of-most-importance-politically-is/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Diet, injections, and injunctions will combine, from a very early age, to produce the sort of character and the sort of beliefs that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/diet-injections-and-injunctions-will-combine-from-a-very-early-age-to/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [The social psychologist of the future will have a number of classes of school children on whom they will try different methods of producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-social-psychologist-of-the-future-will-have-a-number-of-classes/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Scientific societies are as yet in their infancy. It is to be expected that advances in physiology and psychology will give governments much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/scientific-societies-are-as-yet-in-their-infancy-it-is-to-be-expected/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [I do not pretend that birth control is the only way in which population can be kept from increasing. There are others, which, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-do-not-pretend-that-birth-control-is-the-only-way-in-which/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [There are doubtless certain unworldly people who are indifferent to money. I myself have never met one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/there-are-doubtless-certain-unworldly-people-who-are-indifferent-to/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [Be close enough to people so that you are indifferent to the material. And also have faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/be-close-enough-to-people-so-that-you-are-indifferent-to-the-material/)

[Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/)

> [“The thing people are never indifferent to are differences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/the-thing-people-are-never-indifferent-to-are-differences/)

[Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/)

> [I think most people are indifferent in their evaluation of what is good or bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/i-think-most-people-are-indifferent-in-their-evaluation-of-what-is/)

[Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/)

> [...impregnation will be regarded in an entirely different manner, more in the light of a surgical operation, so that it will be thought not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/impregnation-will-be-regarded-in-an-entirely-different-manner-more-in/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Just as Wall Street needs to break the hold of the bonus culture, which drives risk-taking that is rational for individuals but damaging to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-schekman/just-as-wall-street-needs-to-break-the-hold-of-the-bonus-culture/)

[Randy Schekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-schekman/)

## More by Bertrand Russell

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

[Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

## More Eugenics quotes

> [“Galton’s gospel of eugenics found fertile soil in Britain, in the intellectual salons of Europe, and in the United States. Beginning in the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-loconte/galton-s-gospel-of-eugenics-found-fertile-soil-in-britain-in-the/)

Joseph Loconte

> [Eugenic goals are most likely to be attained under another name than eugenics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-osborn/eugenic-goals-are-most-likely-to-be-attained-under-another-name-than/)

[Frederick Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-osborn/)

> [The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity. It is also our greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/the-climate-crisis-is-not-a-political-issue-it-is-a-moral-and/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [Lebanon was under Israeli occupation, up to its capital, but we did not consider that a disaster. Why? Because it was very clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/lebanon-was-under-israeli-occupation-up-to-its-capital-but-we-did-not/)

[Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/)

> [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [Eugenics asserts that all men must be so stupid that they cannot manage their own affairs; and also so clever that they can manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/eugenics-asserts-that-all-men-must-be-so-stupid-that-they-cannot/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

> [Though social eugenics was discredited long ago, we still often think of the genome in quasi-eugenic terms. When we read about the latest discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-wolf/though-social-eugenics-was-discredited-long-ago-we-still-often-think/)

[Gary Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-wolf/)

> [Organized charity itself is. . . the surest sign that our civilization has bred, is breeding and is perpetuating constantly increasing numbers of defectives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-sanger/organized-charity-itself-is-the-surest-sign-that-our-civilization-has/)

[Margaret Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-sanger/)

> [Positive psychology is to the corporate state what eugenics was to the Nazis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/positive-psychology-is-to-the-corporate-state-what-eugenics-was-to/)

[Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/)

> [Ram, ass, and horse, my Kyrnos, we look over With care, and seek good stock for good to cover; And yet the best men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theognis-of-megara/ram-ass-and-horse-my-kyrnos-we-look-over-with-care-and-seek-good/)

[Theognis of Megara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theognis-of-megara/)

> [“The eugenics roots of minimum wage laws. Excerpt from \*Principles of Economics\*(1911) by Frank Taussig: "We have not reached the stage where we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-taussig/the-eugenics-roots-of-minimum-wage-laws-excerpt-from-principles-of/)

Frank Taussig

> [The prospect of cheap fusion energy is the worst thing that could happen to the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/the-prospect-of-cheap-fusion-energy-is-the-worst-thing-that-could/)

[Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/)

> [The undeniably feeble-minded should, indeed, not only be discouraged but prevented from propagating their kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-sanger/the-undeniably-feeble-minded-should-indeed-not-only-be-discouraged/)

[Margaret Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-sanger/)

> [“In reality, of course, if any one age really attains, by eugenics and scientific education, the power to make its descendants what it pleases,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/in-reality-of-course-if-any-one-age-really-attains-by-eugenics-and/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [It's a great relationship when you can work with the person who you consider to be your soul mate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-derringer/it-s-a-great-relationship-when-you-can-work-with-the-person-who-you/)

[Rick Derringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-derringer/)

[Browse all 168 Eugenics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eugenics/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness, especially other people's.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bertrand Russell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/really-high-minded-people-are-indifferent-to-happiness-especially/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Eugenics"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/really-high-minded-people-are-indifferent-to-happiness-especially/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/bertrand-russell-69_eugenics_really-high-minded-people-are-indifferen_1848988.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/bertrand-russell-69_eugenics_really-high-minded-people-are-indifferen_1848988.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f27/bertrand-russell-69_eugenics_really-high-minded-people-are-indifferen_1848988.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness, especially other people's.” — Bertrand Russell",
                "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": "Bertrand Russell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Really high-minded people are indifferent to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/really-high-minded-people-are-indifferent-to-happiness-especially/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/really-high-minded-people-are-indifferent-to-happiness-especially/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
