--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Robert Ingersoll 's character was as…" description: "\"“ Robert Ingersoll 's character was as nearly perfect as it is possible for the character of mortal man to be... none sweeter or nobler had ever blesse..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/charles-spalding-thomas-196166_admiration_robert-ingersoll-s-character-was-as-near_872577.jpg" --- # Robert Ingersoll 's character was as nearly perfect as it… ![“Robert Ingersoll 's character was as nearly perfect as it is possible for the character of mortal man to be... none sweeter or nobler had ever blessed the world. The example of his life was of more value to posterity than all the sermons that were ever written on the doctrine of original sin…” quote by Charles Spalding Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/charles-spalding-thomas-196166_admiration_robert-ingersoll-s-character-was-as-near_872577.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/charles-spalding-thomas-196166_admiration_robert-ingersoll-s-character-was-as-near_872577.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/charles-spalding-thomas-196166_admiration_robert-ingersoll-s-character-was-as-near_872577.jpg) > ““ Robert Ingersoll 's character was as nearly perfect as it is possible for the character of mortal man to be... none sweeter or nobler had ever blessed the world. The example of his life was of more value to posterity than all the sermons that were ever written on the doctrine of original sin... The genius for humor and wit and satire of a Voltaire , a wide amplitude of imagination, and a greatness of heart and brain that placed him upon an equal footing with the greatest thinkers of antiquity. He stands, at the close of his career, the first great reformer of the age. {Thomas' words at the funeral of the great Robert Ingersoll }”” [Charles Spalding Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spalding-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ingersoll embodied near‑perfect moral character, humor, imagination, and intellect, serving as a model reformer for future generations. **In simple terms:** Ingersoll was a moral exemplar and great thinker. Key Takeaway Emulate his integrity and curiosity. Themes character humor reform integrity legacy Mood respectful admiring reflective Type character:1 humor:1 reform:1 integrity:1 legacy:1 Antiquity:0 Bless:0 Blessing:0 Death:0 Example:0 Genius:0 Greatest:0 Heart and brain:0 Honor:0 Imagination:0 Ingersoll:1 Life:0 Man:0 Mortal:0 Noble:0 Original sin:0 Perfect:0 Perfection:0 Posterity:0 Praise:0 Reformer:1 Respect:0 Robert-g-ingersoll:0 Robert-green-ingersoll:0 Robert-ingersoll:0 Satire:0 Sermons:0 Sweet:0 Value:0 Voltaire:0 Wit:0 Robert Ingersoll:1 Ingersoll Character:0 Great Reformer:1 Greatest Thinkers:0 Nobler Blessed:0 When to use this quote - public speaking - leadership - education - personal development - social activism Key Concepts ethics rhetoric humanism intellectualism Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of his life challenge the idealized view? - How can we apply his principles today? A Different Perspective His legacy may be romanticized, overlooking flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Admiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admiration/) [Antiquity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiquity/) [Bless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bless/) [Blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Great Reformer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-reformer-966769/) [Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest/) [Greatest Thinkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-thinkers-966770/) [Heart and brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-and-brain/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingersoll/) [Ingersoll Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingersoll-character-966768/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Mortal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortal/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Nobler Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobler-blessed-966771/) [Original sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-sin/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Posterity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posterity/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Reformer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reformer/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Robert Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robert-ingersoll-2/) [Robert-g-ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robert-g-ingersoll/) [Robert-green-ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robert-green-ingersoll/) [Robert-ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robert-ingersoll/) [Satire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satire/) [Sermons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermons/) [Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweet/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voltaire/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) ## Related quotes > [“One of the bravest, grandest champions of human liberty the world has ever seen. {Darrow on the great Robert Ingersoll }”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/one-of-the-bravest-grandest-champions-of-human-liberty-the-world-has/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [“{ Bjørnson on the great Colonel Robert Ingersoll , whom he translated into Norwegian } I am very sorry that, when I was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bj-rnstjerne-bj-rnson/bj-rnson-on-the-great-colonel-robert-ingersoll-whom-he-translated/) [Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bj-rnstjerne-bj-rnson/) > [“I do not think there is a person in this world who has been a more ardent admirer of him than I have been.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-burbank/i-do-not-think-there-is-a-person-in-this-world-who-has-been-a-more/) [Luther Burbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-burbank/) > [“In 1881, being on a visit to Boston, my wife and I found ourselves in the Parker House with the Ingersoll 's, and went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moncure-daniel-conway/in-1881-being-on-a-visit-to-boston-my-wife-and-i-found-ourselves-in/) [Moncure Daniel Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moncure-daniel-conway/) > [ “ Robert Ingersoll came to \[a small Midwest town\] to speak . . . , and after he had gone the question of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/robert-ingersoll-came-to-a-small-midwest-town-to-speak-and-after-he/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [“{ Stockton, a playwright who performed plays about Robert Ingersoll , gives the four moments in Ingersoll 's life that shaped him, first being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-f-stockton/stockton-a-playwright-who-performed-plays-about-robert-ingersoll/) [Richard F. 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More than any other man who ever lived he destroyed religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-victor-debs/the-name-of-robert-g-ingersoll-is-in-the-pantheon-of-the-world-more/) [Eugene Victor Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-victor-debs/) > [“{Debbs' letter to Robert Ingersoll 's granddaughter} I was the friend of your immortal grandfather and I loved him truly… the name of Ingersoll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-victor-debs/debbs-letter-to-robert-ingersoll-s-granddaughter-i-was-the-friend-of/) [Eugene Victor Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-victor-debs/) > [“The future historian will rank him as one of the heroes of the nineteenth century. {Stanton's opinion of the great Robert Ingersoll }”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-future-historian-will-rank-him-as-one-of-the-heroes-of-the/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [“{ Letter from Fawcett to the great Robert Ingersoll , 1894 } I do so wish, that, in all these big questions, literary men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-fawcett/letter-from-fawcett-to-the-great-robert-ingersoll-1894-i-do-so-wish/) [Edgar Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-fawcett/) > [“In the campaign of 1876, Robert G. 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Ingersoll was a great man. a wonderful intellect, a great soul of matchless courage, one of the great men of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/robert-g-ingersoll-was-a-great-man-a-wonderful-intellect-a-great-soul/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [“ He bantered us, challenged us, electrified us . . . At times his eloquence held us silent as images and some witty turn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamlin-garland/he-bantered-us-challenged-us-electrified-us-at-times-his-eloquence/) [Hamlin Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamlin-garland/) ## More Admiration quotes > [I have tremendous admiration for companies with the kind of pioneering spirit and innovation eBay has demonstrated from day one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-have-tremendous-admiration-for-companies-with-the-kind-of/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [The older you've gotten, the more respect and admiration you've received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jupp-heynckes/the-older-you-ve-gotten-the-more-respect-and-admiration-you-ve/) [Jupp Heynckes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jupp-heynckes/) > [I still don't feel I know Hitchcock at all. I find that the more one looks, the more elusive he becomes. 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