--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All work is noble, if it is legal and…" description: "\"“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an opportunity, a job, an election,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/buzz-aldrin-954_hard-work_all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-eth_633760.jpg" --- # All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your… ![“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an opportunity, a job, an election, a competition, or anything else because you were too lazy to give it your best effort. Certainly, you need rest and recreation, but keep those in…” quote by Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/buzz-aldrin-954_hard-work_all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-eth_633760.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/buzz-aldrin-954_hard-work_all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-eth_633760.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/buzz-aldrin-954_hard-work_all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-eth_633760.jpg) > ““All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an opportunity, a job, an election, a competition, or anything else because you were too lazy to give it your best effort. Certainly, you need rest and recreation, but keep those in balance with hard work. Remember, while you are partying, someone else is working hard to succeed. It’s okay to be second, as long as you do the absolute best you can do.”” [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hard work and ethical effort are essential for success; balance rest with dedication and avoid laziness. **In simple terms:** Work hard and be ethical; balance effort with rest. Key Takeaway Give your best effort always. Themes hard work ethics balance motivation Mood determined inspirational reflective Type advice motivational philosophical When to use this quote - Job performance - elections - competitions - personal projects - team sports Key Concepts Responsibility effort fairness Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance rest and effort? - What ethical standards guide your work? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on work can lead to burnout if rest is insufficient. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Working hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-hard/) ## Related quotes > [“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-ethical-so-do-your-best-whether/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Rule 1: All rules can be broken. Many (ex-legal and ethical) should be. Most people won't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/rule-1-all-rules-can-be-broken-many-ex-legal-and-ethical-should-be/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [Although the legal and ethical definitions of right are the antithesis of each other, most writers use them as synonyms. They confuse power with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-t-sprading/although-the-legal-and-ethical-definitions-of-right-are-the/) Charles T Sprading > [“There's ilegal with ethical and there is legal with un-ethical.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vhalsky/there-s-ilegal-with-ethical-and-there-is-legal-with-un-ethical/) vhalsky > [I will continue to work with state and federal partners to protect our state's values, and to uphold legal, ethical and moral standards -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-scott/i-will-continue-to-work-with-state-and-federal-partners-to-protect/) [Phil Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-scott/) > [The main problem is just that people think that other people care about them way more than they do. Anything that you do, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-stadtmiller/the-main-problem-is-just-that-people-think-that-other-people-care/) [Mandy Stadtmiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-stadtmiller/) > [As a life's work, I would remember everything - everything, against loss. I would go through life like a plankton net.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/as-a-life-s-work-i-would-remember-everything-everything-against-loss/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I hope that all the people who work with me remember me as a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-van-gaal/i-hope-that-all-the-people-who-work-with-me-remember-me-as-a-human/) [Louis van Gaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-van-gaal/) > [It was too much work to remember things you might not have again, and so one by one they opened up their hands and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/it-was-too-much-work-to-remember-things-you-might-not-have-again-and/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [In fact, sometimes when I look at something my memory does work. I remember the panel where Alex Toth told me, "Mike, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royer/in-fact-sometimes-when-i-look-at-something-my-memory-does-work-i/) [Mike Royer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royer/) > [Whatever it is that people find that they want to work on they also have to remember that they are human beings and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-castillo/whatever-it-is-that-people-find-that-they-want-to-work-on-they-also/) [Ana Castillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-castillo/) > [I definitely learned that when you stay humble, you really focus on the work, and you remember that it's about the work. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanice-williams/i-definitely-learned-that-when-you-stay-humble-you-really-focus-on/) [Shanice Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanice-williams/) > [I learned the value of hard work by working hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/i-learned-the-value-of-hard-work-by-working-hard/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [I know that I'm going to have to work hard, keep working hard, and not because of this victory think, "I'm back." I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-clijsters/i-know-that-i-m-going-to-have-to-work-hard-keep-working-hard-and-not/) [Kim Clijsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-clijsters/) ## More by Buzz Aldrin > [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [A family needs to work as a team, supporting each other's individual aims and aspirations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/a-family-needs-to-work-as-a-team-supporting-each-other-s-individual/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [In space, you don't get that much noise. Noise doesn't propagate in a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/in-space-you-don-t-get-that-much-noise-noise-doesn-t-propagate-in-a/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I'm sure the most favorite airplane in my career would still be the Sabre F86 cleft wing , which allowed me to be credited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-m-sure-the-most-favorite-airplane-in-my-career-would-still-be-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [For every winner, there's a loser. And that person didn't really need to lose. They just didn't understand the game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/for-every-winner-there-s-a-loser-and-that-person-didn-t-really-need/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [The society of life on Mars, or the challenge of making Mars more livable, will have significant benefits on our attempts to modify and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/the-society-of-life-on-mars-or-the-challenge-of-making-mars-more/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/exploration-is-wired-into-our-brains-if-we-can-see-the-horizon-we/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [“I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-believe-that-every-human-has-a-finite-number-of-heart-beats-i-don-t/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [There is very little doubt, in my mind, that what the next monumental achievement of humanity will be the first landing by an Earthling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/there-is-very-little-doubt-in-my-mind-that-what-the-next-monumental/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [ Weve got to go \[back to the moon\]. But we dont want to stay too long. ... The ultimate goal is Mars. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/weve-got-to-go-back-to-the-moon-but-we-dont-want-to-stay-too-long-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I want to keep on the move, keep stimulated and challenged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-want-to-keep-on-the-move-keep-stimulated-and-challenged/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [America can take man to the moon, and America can take men to Mars - and beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/america-can-take-man-to-the-moon-and-america-can-take-men-to-mars-and/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I don't believe any pair of people had been more removed physically from the rest of the world than we were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-don-t-believe-any-pair-of-people-had-been-more-removed-physically/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [We have the ability, at such high fidelity, to simulate the physical world through computers. But when the spiritual world or human behavior comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/we-have-the-ability-at-such-high-fidelity-to-simulate-the-physical/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I do celebrity ski races all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-do-celebrity-ski-races-all-over-the-world/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) [Explore all 319 Buzz Aldrin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## More Ethical quotes > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [What our species needs, above all else, is a generally accepted ethical system that is compatible with the scientific knowledge we now possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-our-species-needs-above-all-else-is-a-generally-accepted-ethical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [It is possible to believe in progress as a fact without believing in progress as an ethical principle; but in the catechism of many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-wiener/it-is-possible-to-believe-in-progress-as-a-fact-without-believing-in/) [Norbert Wiener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-wiener/) > [Virtue is as little to be acquired by learning as genius; nay, the idea is barren, and is only to be employed as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/virtue-is-as-little-to-be-acquired-by-learning-as-genius-nay-the-idea/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [I'm a fan of Hugh Kenner, Richard Ellman, Lionel Trilling and Frank Kermode. All these people have taught me how to read - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/i-m-a-fan-of-hugh-kenner-richard-ellman-lionel-trilling-and-frank/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth. I work because I enjoy what I'm doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/it-s-silly-to-have-as-one-s-sole-object-in-life-just-making-money/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“... Ethical cyberexplorers are responsible, yeah? We are friendly ghosts in the machine, not poltergeists or hooligans. We are a growing breed. Over sixty-five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/ethical-cyberexplorers-are-responsible-yeah-we-are-friendly-ghosts-in/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [“Where are the ethical concerns, that so many people called animal lovers invoke, when you steal the children of wild dog mothers and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-nther-bloch/where-are-the-ethical-concerns-that-so-many-people-called-animal/) Günther Bloch > [In the light of absolute values (religious or ethical) man himself is judged to be limited or imperfect, while he can occasionally accomplish acts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-e-hulme/in-the-light-of-absolute-values-religious-or-ethical-man-himself-is/) [T. E. Hulme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-e-hulme/) Browse all 1,110 Ethical quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last. Never lose an opportunity, a job, an election, a competition, or anything else because you were too lazy to give it your best effort. Certainly, you need rest and recreation, but keep those in balance with hard work. Remember, while you are partying, someone else is working hard to succeed. It’s okay to be second, as long as you do the absolute best you can do.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Buzz Aldrin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-ethical-so-do-your-best-whether-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ethical" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-ethical-so-do-your-best-whether-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/buzz-aldrin-954_hard-work_all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-eth_633760.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/buzz-aldrin-954_hard-work_all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-eth_633760.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc7/buzz-aldrin-954_hard-work_all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-eth_633760.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All work is noble, if it is legal and ethical, so do your best, whether you are first, second, or last…” — Buzz Aldrin", "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": "Buzz Aldrin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“All work is noble, if it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-ethical-so-do-your-best-whether-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/all-work-is-noble-if-it-is-legal-and-ethical-so-do-your-best-whether-2/#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 } } ] } ```