--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Short of the dishonest, the illegal, and…" description: "\"Short of the dishonest, the illegal, and the cruel, there's only one thing my son could do that would really disappoint me: not liking reading.\" — Cele..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/celeste-ng-1718_cruel_short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-t_157421.jpg" --- # Short of the dishonest, the illegal, and the cruel… ![“Short of the dishonest, the illegal, and the cruel, there's only one thing my son could do that would really disappoint me: not liking reading.” quote by Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/celeste-ng-1718_cruel_short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-t_157421.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/celeste-ng-1718_cruel_short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-t_157421.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/celeste-ng-1718_cruel_short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-t_157421.jpg) > “Short of the dishonest, the illegal, and the cruel, there's only one thing my son could do that would really disappoint me: not liking reading.” [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author laments that the only disappointing action for her son would be a lack of interest in reading, emphasizing the value placed on literacy. **In simple terms:** Not reading would disappoint a parent. Key Takeaway Encourage reading habits early. Themes education family literacy Mood concerned hopeful Type parental educational When to use this quote - school libraries - family bedtime stories - book clubs - reading challenges Key Concepts parental expectations cognitive development cultural capital Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster a love of reading? - What alternatives support intellectual growth? A Different Perspective Reading alone may not guarantee broader learning outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cruel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruel/) [Dishonest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dishonest/) [Dishonest Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dishonest-illegal-1736097/) [Illegal Cruel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal-cruel-1736096/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short/) [Short Dishonest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-dishonest-1736094/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Son Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-really-1736095/) ## Related quotes > [We do many things at the federal level that would be considered dishonest and illegal if done in the private sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-regan/we-do-many-things-at-the-federal-level-that-would-be-considered/) [Donald T. Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-regan/) > [My son was 8 or 9, and he really wanted a gun. It was Christmas, and I said to my husband, 'It's time for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-long/my-son-was-8-or-9-and-he-really-wanted-a-gun-it-was-christmas-and-i/) [Wendy Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-long/) > [My son really has the spirit of Valentine's Day. When he was in college, he used to send his mother a heart-shaped box of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/my-son-really-has-the-spirit-of-valentine-s-day-when-he-was-in/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [“...it stung, too, knowing that it was easier for his father to erase his only son's existence than it was for him to tolerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/it-stung-too-knowing-that-it-was-easier-for-his-father-to-erase-his/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [My son is really good at being on trips with me. He understands what's going on. He grew up with me modeling, so it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arizona-muse/my-son-is-really-good-at-being-on-trips-with-me-he-understands-what-s/) [Arizona Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arizona-muse/) > [Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/cruelty-does-not-make-a-person-dishonest-the-same-way-bravery-does/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [In the long run, I believe that honesty is definitely the best policy. One can get away by being dishonest for a short term,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-dev/in-the-long-run-i-believe-that-honesty-is-definitely-the-best-policy/) [Kapil Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-dev/) > [Nixon was the most dishonest individual I have ever met in my life. He lied to his wife, his family, his friends, his colleagues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/nixon-was-the-most-dishonest-individual-i-have-ever-met-in-my-life-he/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [Promises are always broken and never kept. Dishonest people do what they want, when they want and dont care about who gets hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/promises-are-always-broken-and-never-kept-dishonest-people-do-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I can’t afford to be dishonest. I also can’t afford to be poor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-can-t-afford-to-be-dishonest-i-also-can-t-afford-to-be-poor/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I've never seen more dishonest media than frankly, the political media. I thought the financial media was much better, much more honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-ve-never-seen-more-dishonest-media-than-frankly-the-political-media/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“I wouldn’t mind politicians lying to me, stealing from me, or senselessly making life difficult if they didn’t try to claim they were looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wouldn-t-mind-politicians-lying-to-me-stealing-from-me-or/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Yes, even I am dishonest. Not in many ways, but in some. Forty-one, I think it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/yes-even-i-am-dishonest-not-in-many-ways-but-in-some-forty-one-i/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It is intellectually dishonest to lump venture investors with hedge fund and buy-out investors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ferreira/it-is-intellectually-dishonest-to-lump-venture-investors-with-hedge/) [Jose Ferreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ferreira/) > [I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and who then asketh: "Am I a dishonest player?" - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-love-him-who-is-ashamed-when-the-dice-fall-in-his-favour-and-who/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Celeste Ng > [When you mention to people growing up in Cleveland they bring up the river catching on fire, or LeBron James leaving, they have these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/when-you-mention-to-people-growing-up-in-cleveland-they-bring-up-the/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [It's so easy, as a writer, to get stuck in your own head, to live in the little worlds you create. To forget that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/it-s-so-easy-as-a-writer-to-get-stuck-in-your-own-head-to-live-in-the/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“All up and down the street the houses looked like any others—but inside them were people who might be happy, or taking refuge, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/all-up-and-down-the-street-the-houses-looked-like-any-others-but/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [No reader wants to sit through the same scene four times in a row, unless they're radically different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/no-reader-wants-to-sit-through-the-same-scene-four-times-in-a-row/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [Debut novels are difficult because nobody knows you... they just don't find a huge audience, because that's how the market works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/debut-novels-are-difficult-because-nobody-knows-you-they-just-don-t/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [We have to figure out why we see the world in different ways and then how are we going to adjust so that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/we-have-to-figure-out-why-we-see-the-world-in-different-ways-and-then/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“I have measured my life with coffee spoons and do I dare to eat a peach?' 'DO I DARE DISTURB THE UNIVERSE?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/i-have-measured-my-life-with-coffee-spoons-and-do-i-dare-to-eat-a/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“No one, she had learned from experience, could stand such silence for long. If you waited long enough, someone would start talking, and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/no-one-she-had-learned-from-experience-could-stand-such-silence-for/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“Most of the time, everyone deserves more than one chance. We all do things we regret now and then. You just have to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/most-of-the-time-everyone-deserves-more-than-one-chance-we-all-do/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“Though she would never quite articulate it this way, resentment began to sheathe concern. ANGER IS FEAR'S BODYGUARD, a poster in the hospital hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/though-she-would-never-quite-articulate-it-this-way-resentment-began/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [Spend too much time alone with your own words, and your writing grows anemic, in dire need of a transfusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/spend-too-much-time-alone-with-your-own-words-and-your-writing-grows/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“Everyone sees race, Lex," said Moody. "The only difference is who pretends not to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/everyone-sees-race-lex-said-moody-the-only-difference-is-who-pretends/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [Writers, most of them, don't have a lot of resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/writers-most-of-them-don-t-have-a-lot-of-resources/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [Browse Amazon reviews, and you'll see a surprising number of readers who believe one novel can summarize a country, its culture, and its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/browse-amazon-reviews-and-you-ll-see-a-surprising-number-of-readers/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [As the Trump administration takes office - and we see acts of racism, misogyny, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination around the country -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/as-the-trump-administration-takes-office-and-we-see-acts-of-racism/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) [Explore all 212 Celeste Ng quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) ## More Cruel quotes > [“History has a cruel way of disappointing optimists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-thompson/history-has-a-cruel-way-of-disappointing-optimists/) [Keith Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-thompson/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“Don't be so cruel to me. Don't promise me anything. I've got everything that i need. I need love in a good way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tegan-quin/don-t-be-so-cruel-to-me-don-t-promise-me-anything-i-ve-got-everything/) [Tegan Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tegan-quin/) > [Pity is cruel. Pity destroys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/pity-is-cruel-pity-destroys/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [“Even the cruel feel pain. And even the cruel can change. I hope this changes him. He could do so much, if only he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/even-the-cruel-feel-pain-and-even-the-cruel-can-change-i-hope-this/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [You must learn that to endure cruelty is to become cruel yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bleach/you-must-learn-that-to-endure-cruelty-is-to-become-cruel-yourself/) [Bleach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bleach/) > [“my power is as cruel a joke as it can get? That’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-d-anderson/my-power-is-as-cruel-a-joke-as-it-can-get-that-s/) [Katie D. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-d-anderson/) > [I must be cruel only to be kind; Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-must-be-cruel-only-to-be-kind-thus-bad-begins-and-worse-remains/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Huamns, uregulated, are cruel and capricious; violet and selfish; miserable and quarrelsome. It is only after their instincts and basic emotions have been controlled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/huamns-uregulated-are-cruel-and-capricious-violet-and-selfish/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“You would think those who have endured unkindness would be kinder as a result, intent on sparing others the awful suffering they abhorred firsthand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/you-would-think-those-who-have-endured-unkindness-would-be-kinder-as/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [how cruel, your veins are full of ice-water and mine are boiling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/how-cruel-your-veins-are-full-of-ice-water-and-mine-are-boiling/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [There is no kindness more cruel than the kindness which consigns another person to their sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/there-is-no-kindness-more-cruel-than-the-kindness-which-consigns/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Vanity can create a very cruel space for you if you don't know how to manage it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/vanity-can-create-a-very-cruel-space-for-you-if-you-don-t-know-how-to/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [Life is cruel and we do terrible things to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/life-is-cruel-and-we-do-terrible-things-to-each-other/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [What people loathe the most is to be orphaned, desolate, unworthy. But this is what princes and kings call themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/what-people-loathe-the-most-is-to-be-orphaned-desolate-unworthy-but/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) [Browse all 1,069 Cruel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Short of the dishonest, the illegal, and the cruel, there's only one thing my son could do that would really disappoint me: not liking reading.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Celeste Ng" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-the-cruel-there-s-only-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cruel" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-the-cruel-there-s-only-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/celeste-ng-1718_cruel_short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-t_157421.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/celeste-ng-1718_cruel_short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-t_157421.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/celeste-ng-1718_cruel_short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-t_157421.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Short of the dishonest, the illegal, and the cruel, there's only one thing my son could do that would really…” — Celeste Ng", "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": "Celeste Ng", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Short of the dishonest, the illegal,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-the-cruel-there-s-only-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-the-cruel-there-s-only-one/#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 } } ] } ```