--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd sooner be called a successful crook…" description: "\"I'd sooner be called a successful crook than a destitute monarch.\" — Charlie Chaplin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/charlie-chaplin-1779_crook_i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook_2947012.jpg" --- # I'd sooner be called a successful crook than a destitute… ![“I'd sooner be called a successful crook than a destitute monarch.” quote by Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/charlie-chaplin-1779_crook_i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook_2947012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/charlie-chaplin-1779_crook_i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook_2947012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/charlie-chaplin-1779_crook_i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook_2947012.jpg) > “I'd sooner be called a successful crook than a destitute monarch.” [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prefers being a successful outlaw over a powerless ruler, highlighting the value of agency over title. **In simple terms:** Better to be a clever rogue than a weak king. Key Takeaway Value influence and autonomy over status. Themes power identity freedom Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - politics - career choices - personal ethics Key Concepts Agency morality societal roles Questions to Reflect On - What defines true success for you? - Can power without purpose be fulfilling? A Different Perspective Success without integrity is hollow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crook/) [Monarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monarch/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) ## Related quotes > [It's very hard to uphold individual liberty when the person you're representing is often a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/it-s-very-hard-to-uphold-individual-liberty-when-the-person-you-re/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [By hook or by crook, I want to be one of the biggest and best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-francis/by-hook-or-by-crook-i-want-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-and-best/) [Ben Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-francis/) > [Choices had become limited post 'Crook' and I was being offered films that had me play second fiddle. I realized that would take me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/choices-had-become-limited-post-crook-and-i-was-being-offered-films/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [Once I set my mind towards something, it's going to happen. By hook or by crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-taylor-joy/once-i-set-my-mind-towards-something-it-s-going-to-happen-by-hook-or/) [Anya Taylor-Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-taylor-joy/) > [“It is too often the case,” Crook said, “that border newspapers … disseminate all sorts of exaggerations and falsehoods about the Indians, which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-brown/it-is-too-often-the-case-crook-said-that-border-newspapers/) [Dee Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-brown/) > [I know me, and those close to me know me. But sadly, the outside world thinks I'm some kind of a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/i-know-me-and-those-close-to-me-know-me-but-sadly-the-outside-world/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [There are people who say, 'Oh, he's a crook.' But I'm not a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-m-brant/there-are-people-who-say-oh-he-s-a-crook-but-i-m-not-a-crook/) [Peter M. Brant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-m-brant/) > [“As to the crook in your lot, God has made it; and it must continue while He will have it so. Should you ply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-boston/as-to-the-crook-in-your-lot-god-has-made-it-and-it-must-continue/) [Thomas Boston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-boston/) > [The longer I live, the more I feel that the individual is not so much to blame - not even the worst individuals, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-steffens/the-longer-i-live-the-more-i-feel-that-the-individual-is-not-so-much/) [Lincoln Steffens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-steffens/) > [A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/a-crook-is-a-crook-and-there-s-something-healthy-about-his-frankness/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [Prince Charles has his foibles, but he is not a crook, not a bully, and not a hypocrite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-junor/prince-charles-has-his-foibles-but-he-is-not-a-crook-not-a-bully-and/) [Penny Junor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-junor/) > [You give me electric chair. I no afraid of that chair! You're one of capitalists. You is crook man too. Put me in electric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-zangara/you-give-me-electric-chair-i-no-afraid-of-that-chair-you-re-one-of/) Giuseppe Zangara > [It is not the crook in modern business that we fear, but the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-d-young/it-is-not-the-crook-in-modern-business-that-we-fear-but-the-honest/) [Owen D. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-d-young/) > [Me? Well, I don't know, I must go to a dictionary and learn what a crook is. I've never been a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-zuma/me-well-i-don-t-know-i-must-go-to-a-dictionary-and-learn-what-a-crook/) [Jacob Zuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-zuma/) > [When we die, our souls still live. If you are a gangster or a bastard or a crook, your soul inhabits a donkey or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-al-fayed/when-we-die-our-souls-still-live-if-you-are-a-gangster-or-a-bastard/) [Mohamed Al-Fayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-al-fayed/) ## More by Charlie Chaplin > [The people are applauding you because none of them understands you and applauding me because everybody understands me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/the-people-are-applauding-you-because-none-of-them-understands-you/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [I am not religious in the dogmatic sense ... I neither believe nor disbelieve in anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-am-not-religious-in-the-dogmatic-sense-i-neither-believe-nor/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/even-when-i-was-in-the-orphanage-when-i-was-roaming-the-street-trying/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [You are only as good as the woman you are standing beside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/you-are-only-as-good-as-the-woman-you-are-standing-beside/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [my lips never know my problem they just always smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/my-lips-never-know-my-problem-they-just-always-smile/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [“Vosotros no sois ganado, no sois máquinas, sois Hombres.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/vosotros-no-sois-ganado-no-sois-m-quinas-sois-hombres/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Moving pictures need sound as much as Beethoven symphonies need lyrics,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/moving-pictures-need-sound-as-much-as-beethoven-symphonies-need-lyrics/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Time is the best author. It always writes the perfect ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/time-is-the-best-author-it-always-writes-the-perfect-ending/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/in-this-world-there-is-room-for-everyone-and-the-good-earth-is-rich/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Man as an individual is a genius. But men in the mass form the headless monster, a great, brutish idiot that goes where prodded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-as-an-individual-is-a-genius-but-men-in-the-mass-form-the/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [The irony in life doing the wrong thing at the right moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/the-irony-in-life-doing-the-wrong-thing-at-the-right-moment/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Man is an animal with primary instincts of survival. Consequently his ingenuity has developed first and his soul afterwards. The progress of science is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-is-an-animal-with-primary-instincts-of-survival-consequently-his/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [I don't need interesting camera angles, I am interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-don-t-need-interesting-camera-angles-i-am-interesting/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Nothing in life is permanent, not even one's troubles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/nothing-in-life-is-permanent-not-even-one-s-troubles/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning. Desire is the theme of life. The meaning of anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/what-do-you-want-a-meaning-for-life-is-a-desire-not-a-meaning-desire/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) [Explore all 199 Charlie Chaplin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) ## More Crook quotes > [It's very hard to uphold individual liberty when the person you're representing is often a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/it-s-very-hard-to-uphold-individual-liberty-when-the-person-you-re/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [Me? Well, I don't know, I must go to a dictionary and learn what a crook is. I've never been a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-zuma/me-well-i-don-t-know-i-must-go-to-a-dictionary-and-learn-what-a-crook/) [Jacob Zuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-zuma/) > [It is not the crook in modern business that we fear, but the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-d-young/it-is-not-the-crook-in-modern-business-that-we-fear-but-the-honest/) [Owen D. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-d-young/) > [You give me electric chair. I no afraid of that chair! You're one of capitalists. You is crook man too. Put me in electric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-zangara/you-give-me-electric-chair-i-no-afraid-of-that-chair-you-re-one-of/) Giuseppe Zangara > [Prince Charles has his foibles, but he is not a crook, not a bully, and not a hypocrite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-junor/prince-charles-has-his-foibles-but-he-is-not-a-crook-not-a-bully-and/) [Penny Junor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-junor/) > [A crook is a crook, and there's something healthy about his frankness in the matter. But any guy who pretends he is enforcing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/a-crook-is-a-crook-and-there-s-something-healthy-about-his-frankness/) [Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/) > [The longer I live, the more I feel that the individual is not so much to blame - not even the worst individuals, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-steffens/the-longer-i-live-the-more-i-feel-that-the-individual-is-not-so-much/) [Lincoln Steffens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-steffens/) > [“As to the crook in your lot, God has made it; and it must continue while He will have it so. Should you ply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-boston/as-to-the-crook-in-your-lot-god-has-made-it-and-it-must-continue/) [Thomas Boston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-boston/) > [There are people who say, 'Oh, he's a crook.' But I'm not a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-m-brant/there-are-people-who-say-oh-he-s-a-crook-but-i-m-not-a-crook/) [Peter M. Brant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-m-brant/) > [I know me, and those close to me know me. But sadly, the outside world thinks I'm some kind of a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/i-know-me-and-those-close-to-me-know-me-but-sadly-the-outside-world/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [“It is too often the case,” Crook said, “that border newspapers … disseminate all sorts of exaggerations and falsehoods about the Indians, which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-brown/it-is-too-often-the-case-crook-said-that-border-newspapers/) [Dee Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-brown/) > [Once I set my mind towards something, it's going to happen. By hook or by crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-taylor-joy/once-i-set-my-mind-towards-something-it-s-going-to-happen-by-hook-or/) [Anya Taylor-Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-taylor-joy/) > [Choices had become limited post 'Crook' and I was being offered films that had me play second fiddle. I realized that would take me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/choices-had-become-limited-post-crook-and-i-was-being-offered-films/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [By hook or by crook, I want to be one of the biggest and best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-francis/by-hook-or-by-crook-i-want-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-and-best/) [Ben Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-francis/) > [When we die, our souls still live. If you are a gangster or a bastard or a crook, your soul inhabits a donkey or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-al-fayed/when-we-die-our-souls-still-live-if-you-are-a-gangster-or-a-bastard/) [Mohamed Al-Fayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-al-fayed/) [Browse all 38 Crook quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crook/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd sooner be called a successful crook than a destitute monarch.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlie Chaplin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook-than-a-destitute-monarch/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crook" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook-than-a-destitute-monarch/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/charlie-chaplin-1779_crook_i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook_2947012.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/charlie-chaplin-1779_crook_i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook_2947012.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/charlie-chaplin-1779_crook_i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook_2947012.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd sooner be called a successful crook than a destitute monarch.” — Charlie Chaplin", "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": "Charlie Chaplin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd sooner be called a successful...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook-than-a-destitute-monarch/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-d-sooner-be-called-a-successful-crook-than-a-destitute-monarch/#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 } } ] } ```