--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is it truly being good if the only reason…" description: "\"Is it truly being good if the only reason I behave well is so I can get more loot at Christmas? I mean, really, all I'm doing is saying I can be bribed..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/bill-watterson-728_be-good_is-it-truly-being-good-if-the-only-reaso_1684265.png" --- # Is it truly being good if the only reason I behave well is… ![“Is it truly being good if the only reason I behave well is so I can get more loot at Christmas? I mean, really, all I'm doing is saying I can be bribed.” quote by Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/bill-watterson-728_be-good_is-it-truly-being-good-if-the-only-reaso_1684265.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/bill-watterson-728_be-good_is-it-truly-being-good-if-the-only-reaso_1684265.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/bill-watterson-728_be-good_is-it-truly-being-good-if-the-only-reaso_1684265.png) > “Is it truly being good if the only reason I behave well is so I can get more loot at Christmas? I mean, really, all I'm doing is saying I can be bribed.” [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning moral actions when driven by selfish rewards reveals ethical emptiness. **In simple terms:** Doing good for selfish gain is hollow. Key Takeaway Seek genuine integrity, not reward. Themes ethics motivation selfishness integrity philosophy Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decisions - workplace behavior - charitable actions - holiday traditions Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology of incentives authenticity Questions to Reflect On - What motivates your good deeds? - Can altruism exist without expectation? A Different Perspective Reward‑driven morality can erode true virtue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Loot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loot/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [There is nothing that would upset me more than my dad being bribed by the press. It's like, 'Just let them run it, then.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/there-is-nothing-that-would-upset-me-more-than-my-dad-being-bribed-by/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [“Real happiness cannot be bribed by anything sordid or low.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/real-happiness-cannot-be-bribed-by-anything-sordid-or-low/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [I've never bribed my way into a restaurant. I've never slipped a C-note or greased a palm. In truth, I've never even considered it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/i-ve-never-bribed-my-way-into-a-restaurant-i-ve-never-slipped-a-c/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [I have never been bribed as a Prime Minister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamisese-mara/i-have-never-been-bribed-as-a-prime-minister/) [Kamisese Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamisese-mara/) > [When one sense has been bribed the others readily bear false witness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/when-one-sense-has-been-bribed-the-others-readily-bear-false-witness/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [More people are bribed by their own money than anybody else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-daniels/more-people-are-bribed-by-their-own-money-than-anybody-else-s/) Jonathan Daniels > [Men are more often bribed by their loyalties and ambitions than by money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-are-more-often-bribed-by-their-loyalties-and-ambitions-than-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is by bribing, not so often by being bribed, that wicked politicians bring ruin on mankind. Avarice is a rival to the pursuits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/it-is-by-bribing-not-so-often-by-being-bribed-that-wicked-politicians/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“...some heroes are born. Some are made. And some are bribed with promises of food and sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-peeler/some-heroes-are-born-some-are-made-and-some-are-bribed-with-promises/) [Nicole Peeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-peeler/) > [It looks like bribery. I mean,there is every appearance that Hillary Clinton was bribed to grease the sale of, what, 20 percent of America's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedediah-bila/it-looks-like-bribery-i-mean-there-is-every-appearance-that-hillary/) [Jedediah Bila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedediah-bila/) > [“Some of you rich men have to be taught that all the world cannot be bribed into condoning your offences.\\”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-arthur-conan-doyle/some-of-you-rich-men-have-to-be-taught-that-all-the-world-cannot-be/) [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Repeat business or behavior can be bribed. Loyalty has to be earned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-l-robinson/repeat-business-or-behavior-can-be-bribed-loyalty-has-to-be-earned/) Janet L. Robinson > [“There's probably no one so easily bribed, but he lacks even the fundamental honesty of honorable corruption. He doesn't stay bribed; not for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/there-s-probably-no-one-so-easily-bribed-but-he-lacks-even-the/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“You will hear everlastingly, in all discussions about newspapers, companies, aristocracies, or party politics, this argument that the rich man cannot be bribed. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/you-will-hear-everlastingly-in-all-discussions-about-newspapers/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [Marriage is a device originated by women for looting the men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/marriage-is-a-device-originated-by-women-for-looting-the-men/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) ## More by Bill Watterson > [Calvin: The more you know, the harder it is to take decisive action. Once you are informed, you start seeing complexities and shades of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/calvin-the-more-you-know-the-harder-it-is-to-take-decisive-action/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [A day can really slip by when you're deliberately avoiding what you're supposed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/a-day-can-really-slip-by-when-you-re-deliberately-avoiding-what-you/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [For your information, I'm staying like this, and everyone else can just get used to it! If people don't like me the way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/for-your-information-i-m-staying-like-this-and-everyone-else-can-just/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [I think most of us would be horrified to meet ourselves and discover what everyone else already knows about us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/i-think-most-of-us-would-be-horrified-to-meet-ourselves-and-discover/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/as-a-kid-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-either-a-cartoonist-or-an-astronaut/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [Miss Wormwood: Calvin, your test was an absolute disgrace! It's obvious you haven't read any of the material. Our first president was not Chef…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/miss-wormwood-calvin-your-test-was-an-absolute-disgrace-it-s-obvious/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [Calvin: Today for show and tell, I've brought a tiny miracle of nature: a single snowflake! I think we might all learn a lesson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/calvin-today-for-show-and-tell-i-ve-brought-a-tiny-miracle-of-nature/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [United Features had given me a development contract, which meant I was to work exclusively with them and rather than completing everything on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/united-features-had-given-me-a-development-contract-which-meant-i-was/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [What assurance do I have that your parenting isn't screwing me up?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/what-assurance-do-i-have-that-your-parenting-isn-t-screwing-me-up/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [In the right hands, a comic strip attains a beauty and elegance that, really, I would put against any other art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/in-the-right-hands-a-comic-strip-attains-a-beauty-and-elegance-that/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [If you give a little credit to the concept of the artist, I think you ought to indulge excesses a bit, because that reflects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/if-you-give-a-little-credit-to-the-concept-of-the-artist-i-think-you/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [I tell you all this because it's worth recognizing that there is no such thing as an overnight success. You will do well to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/i-tell-you-all-this-because-it-s-worth-recognizing-that-there-is-no/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [The secret to enjoying your job is to have a hobby that's even worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/the-secret-to-enjoying-your-job-is-to-have-a-hobby-that-s-even-worse/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [By golly, life's too darn short to waste time trying to please every meddlesome moron who's got an idea how I ought to be!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/by-golly-life-s-too-darn-short-to-waste-time-trying-to-please-every/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [I'm yet another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet, raised to an alarming extent by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, poised with my cynical and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/i-m-yet-another-resource-consuming-kid-in-an-overpopulated-planet/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) [Explore all 389 Bill Watterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. 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Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Is it truly being good if the only reason I behave well is so I can get more loot at Christmas? 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