--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She knew that people generally behaved…" description: "\"“She knew that people generally behaved only as well as they had to.”\" — Daisy Goodwin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daisy-goodwin-33817_bad-behavior_she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-o_996512.jpg" --- # She knew that people generally behaved only as well as… ![“She knew that people generally behaved only as well as they had to.” quote by Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daisy-goodwin-33817_bad-behavior_she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-o_996512.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daisy-goodwin-33817_bad-behavior_she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-o_996512.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daisy-goodwin-33817_bad-behavior_she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-o_996512.jpg) > ““She knew that people generally behaved only as well as they had to.”” [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People act morally only when circumstances force them to; otherwise they may act selfishly. **In simple terms:** People behave well when compelled. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of necessity in ethics. Themes morality necessity behavior Mood thoughtful analytical Type psychological observational When to use this quote - workplace decisions - family dynamics - legal obligations - peer influence Key Concepts ethical theory social pressure Questions to Reflect On - Do you act morally without external pressure? - What situations reveal true character? A Different Perspective Assumes external pressure is always present, ignoring intrinsic morality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-behavior/) ## Related quotes > [I have thrown chairs, but only during football matches. Generally, I am well-behaved. I do not like to make people angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/i-have-thrown-chairs-but-only-during-football-matches-generally-i-am/) [Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/) > [You stand with the least likely to succeed until success is succeeded by something more valuable: kinship. You stand with the belligerent, the surly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-stand-with-the-least-likely-to-succeed-until-success-is-succeeded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’ve found that most people are generally a danger only to themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-maxwell/i-ve-found-that-most-people-are-generally-a-danger-only-to-themselves/) [Eliza Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-maxwell/) > [People generally pay attention to what they already know about and what they care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-they-already-know-about-and/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [It has seemed to me that most people are generally good, in every race and in every country where I have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/it-has-seemed-to-me-that-most-people-are-generally-good-in-every-race/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [I like working-class people, generally speaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peterson/i-like-working-class-people-generally-speaking/) [Jordan Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peterson/) > [Every man becomes, to a certain degree, what the people he generally converses with are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-man-becomes-to-a-certain-degree-what-the-people-he-generally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People generally think that it is the world, the environment, external relationships, which stand in one's way, in the way of ones' good fortune...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-generally-think-that-it-is-the-world-the-environment-external/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [People generally have more feeling for canals and roads than education. However, I hope we can advance them with equal pace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/people-generally-have-more-feeling-for-canals-and-roads-than/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/in-truth-people-can-generally-make-time-for-what-they-choose-to-do-it/) [John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/) > [“People generally believe that which they wish to believe and disbelieve that which is unpleasant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-l-petersen/people-generally-believe-that-which-they-wish-to-believe-and/) Rodney L. Petersen > [People generally fall into one of three groups: the few who make things happen, the many who watch things happen, and the overwhelming majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/people-generally-fall-into-one-of-three-groups-the-few-who-make/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [People generally like to subscribe to celebrities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristan-perich/people-generally-like-to-subscribe-to-celebrities/) [Tristan Perich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristan-perich/) > [I think people generally have a good heart and the intention to help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-kompany/i-think-people-generally-have-a-good-heart-and-the-intention-to-help/) [Vincent Kompany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-kompany/) > [A well governed people are generally a people who do not think much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-siegfried/a-well-governed-people-are-generally-a-people-who-do-not-think-much/) Andre Siegfried ## More by Daisy Goodwin > [“Bloody Men Bloody men are like bloody buses— You wait for about a year— And as soon as one approaches your stop Two or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/bloody-men-bloody-men-are-like-bloody-buses-you-wait-for-about-a-year/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [“Love Poem Sharing one umbrella We have to hold each other Round the waist to keep together. You ask me why I’m smiling —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/love-poem-sharing-one-umbrella-we-have-to-hold-each-other-round-the/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [Duets are not about individual skill but about the relationship between the two players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/duets-are-not-about-individual-skill-but-about-the-relationship/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [“She longed for a letter that was for her and her alone, a letter which would give her some glimpse into his heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/she-longed-for-a-letter-that-was-for-her-and-her-alone-a-letter-which/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [“... anyone can acquire wealth, the real art is giving it away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/anyone-can-acquire-wealth-the-real-art-is-giving-it-away/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [“But it was better to know of it than to see it in its daily monotony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/but-it-was-better-to-know-of-it-than-to-see-it-in-its-daily-monotony/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [“The first thing to realize is that it is is a country that is still being imagined. Here every patch of earth has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/the-first-thing-to-realize-is-that-it-is-is-a-country-that-is-still/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [The English were infuriating. Everything was designed to put an outsider at a disadvantage. If you had to ask, you didn't belong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/the-english-were-infuriating-everything-was-designed-to-put-an/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [“I told you, you're my black pearl. When i first set eyes on you in the servant's hall I thought you were the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/i-told-you-you-re-my-black-pearl-when-i-first-set-eyes-on-you-in-the/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/for-daughters-of-the-new-american-billionaires-of-the-19th-century-it/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [“...when I see you here amidst all this, I realise that I proposed to a very small part of you. 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Cora found most novels hard to sympathise with -- all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/in-the-blue-room-cora-cash-was-trying-to-concentrate-on-her-book-cora/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) [Explore all 14 Daisy Goodwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) ## More Bad behavior quotes > [“It is chilling to know that some accepted ways of being with children can leave them vulnerable to suffering from anxiety, depression, or rage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-taylor/it-is-chilling-to-know-that-some-accepted-ways-of-being-with-children/) [Natalie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-taylor/) > [More often than not, the belief that you are bad contributes to the "bad" behavior. Change and learning occur most readily when you (a)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/more-often-than-not-the-belief-that-you-are-bad-contributes-to-the/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [The desire to keep doing what we love supersedes the desire to penalize bad behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-scovell/the-desire-to-keep-doing-what-we-love-supersedes-the-desire-to/) [Nell Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-scovell/) > [“Admit it—own up to the fact you have an undesirable habit. Tell the Lord about it (He already knows; it just helps you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-fike/admit-it-own-up-to-the-fact-you-have-an-undesirable-habit-tell-the/) [Al Fike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-fike/) > [If you do anything today: trade in that bad behavior for a new and improved one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaoru/if-you-do-anything-today-trade-in-that-bad-behavior-for-a-new-and/) [Kaoru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaoru/) > [“wen am good you will not accept, now don't blame me for my bad behaviors ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakhiabbas/wen-am-good-you-will-not-accept-now-don-t-blame-me-for-my-bad/) sakhiabbas > [“We need to get our minds right, because right now we are behaving as if we are out of our right minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-wallace/we-need-to-get-our-minds-right-because-right-now-we-are-behaving-as/) [Carlos Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-wallace/) > [“It’s extremely unlikely you will be magically transformed from a mediocre or average people manager to a Satya Nadella or a Ratan Tata. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/binod-shankar/it-s-extremely-unlikely-you-will-be-magically-transformed-from-a/) Binod Shankar > [The Fox News that I know and work in is a team of producers, technicians, photographers, truck operators and production managers who barely have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-maccallum/the-fox-news-that-i-know-and-work-in-is-a-team-of-producers/) [Martha MacCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-maccallum/) > [Most bad behavior comes from insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-winger/most-bad-behavior-comes-from-insecurity/) [Debra Winger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-winger/) > [ “\[T\]here are some human rights that are so deep that we can't negotiate them away. I mean people do heinous, terrible things. But there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sister-helen-prejean/t-here-are-some-human-rights-that-are-so-deep-that-we-can-t-negotiate/) Sister Helen Prejean > [The end result of positively reinforcing bad behavior is that you get more of it. The culmination of a failure to punish predators is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/the-end-result-of-positively-reinforcing-bad-behavior-is-that-you-get/) [Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/) > [I think writers are excited by stupidity and bad behavior, generally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-think-writers-are-excited-by-stupidity-and-bad-behavior-generally/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“I became a student of my own depressed experience, trying to unthread its causes. What was the root of all this despair? Was it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-became-a-student-of-my-own-depressed-experience-trying-to-unthread/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“She leaned down so she was looking right in my eyes. "You hear me, child. you can't use other folks' bad behavior to excuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/she-leaned-down-so-she-was-looking-right-in-my-eyes-you-hear-me-child/) [susan crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) [Browse all 203 Bad behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She knew that people generally behaved only as well as they had to.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daisy Goodwin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-only-as-well-as-they-had-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad behavior" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-only-as-well-as-they-had-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daisy-goodwin-33817_bad-behavior_she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-o_996512.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daisy-goodwin-33817_bad-behavior_she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-o_996512.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daisy-goodwin-33817_bad-behavior_she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-o_996512.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She knew that people generally behaved only as well as they had to.” — Daisy Goodwin", "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": "Daisy Goodwin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She knew that people generally behaved...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-only-as-well-as-they-had-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-only-as-well-as-they-had-to/#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 } } ] } ```