--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think people, for the most part…" description: "\"I think people, for the most part, actually want what they think is best.\" — David Cross" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c90/david-cross-3386_people_i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actuall_1821370.png" --- # I think people, for the most part, actually want what they… ![“I think people, for the most part, actually want what they think is best.” quote by David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c90/david-cross-3386_people_i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actuall_1821370.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c90/david-cross-3386_people_i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actuall_1821370.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c90/david-cross-3386_people_i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actuall_1821370.png) > “I think people, for the most part, actually want what they think is best.” [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People generally aim for what they perceive as beneficial, though perception may be flawed. **In simple terms:** Most seek what they think is best. Key Takeaway Align actions with informed, compassionate goals. Themes human nature motivation ethics Mood thoughtful humorous Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - personal decision‑making - public policy - organizational leadership Key Concepts perception bias altruism self‑interest Questions to Reflect On - What defines "best" for you? - How do you verify your assumptions? A Different Perspective Misguided perceptions can cause harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually-want-458653/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-actually/) [Think Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-best/) [Think People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-think/) ## Related quotes > [The fact that people actually want my autograph is crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lochte/the-fact-that-people-actually-want-my-autograph-is-crazy/) [Ryan Lochte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lochte/) > [You never want to think the best things are in the past. You want to get yourself to believe that the best things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanford-i-weill/you-never-want-to-think-the-best-things-are-in-the-past-you-want-to/) [Sanford I. Weill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanford-i-weill/) > [Do What Ever you want to never think what will people think about you :) its you who have to enjoy not the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karal/do-what-ever-you-want-to-never-think-what-will-people-think-about-you/) [Karal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karal/) > [People can think what they want to think, I don't go after people. I think most people I talk to, like me, are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-baio/people-can-think-what-they-want-to-think-i-don-t-go-after-people-i/) [Scott Baio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-baio/) > [I think that people are going to think of me however they want to think of me, whether it's female or gay or cancer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tig-notaro/i-think-that-people-are-going-to-think-of-me-however-they-want-to/) [Tig Notaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tig-notaro/) > [I actually want to face Daniel Cormier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-dos-santos/i-actually-want-to-face-daniel-cormier/) [Junior dos Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-dos-santos/) > [I want to give you a way to eat your broccoli in a way that you actually want to eat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-woodward/i-want-to-give-you-a-way-to-eat-your-broccoli-in-a-way-that-you/) [Ella Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-woodward/) > [“I want a mission. Not someone else’s mission, either. I want my own mission. Something I think up myself. Something I actually want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/i-want-a-mission-not-someone-else-s-mission-either-i-want-my-own/) [A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/) > [I found a belief system that worked for me, and I said, you know what, 'I actually do want to give being with men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-porsha-renae/i-found-a-belief-system-that-worked-for-me-and-i-said-you-know-what-i/) [La'Porsha Renae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-porsha-renae/) > [There have been times I wanted to cry on interview, but it hasn't been because that's what they're trying to conjure. No. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/there-have-been-times-i-wanted-to-cry-on-interview-but-it-hasn-t-been/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Give users what they actually want, not what they say they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-sierra/give-users-what-they-actually-want-not-what-they-say-they-want/) [Kathy Sierra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-sierra/) > [Where you're from shapes you, but you can actually do whatever you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/where-you-re-from-shapes-you-but-you-can-actually-do-whatever-you-want/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [He's just flirting, he doesn't actually want you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/he-s-just-flirting-he-doesn-t-actually-want-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [What comes next? Super Mario 128? Actually, that's what I want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-miyamoto/what-comes-next-super-mario-128-actually-that-s-what-i-want-to-do/) [Shigeru Miyamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-miyamoto/) > [“You can't save anyone from themselves. They have to actually want to do the work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-baker/you-can-t-save-anyone-from-themselves-they-have-to-actually-want-to/) [Robin S. Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-baker/) ## More by David Cross > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I read the New York Times, and if I'm in a different city, I'll skim that paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-read-the-new-york-times-and-if-i-m-in-a-different-city-i-ll-skim/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I hate bumper stickers, you can't sum anything up. All you do is paint yourself in some caricaturist corner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-hate-bumper-stickers-you-can-t-sum-anything-up-all-you-do-is-paint/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [There's the disingenuous duplicitousness, but you can apply that to every politician, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/there-s-the-disingenuous-duplicitousness-but-you-can-apply-that-to/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I remember being a kid and the Vietnam War was huge and looking at Watergate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-remember-being-a-kid-and-the-vietnam-war-was-huge-and-looking-at/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I grew up in that minority. I grew up in the South, in Roswell, Georgia, and it was heavily white, Baptist, conservative. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-grew-up-in-that-minority-i-grew-up-in-the-south-in-roswell-georgia/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [ I think for a lot of people, it's just where their saturation point was. Once you get into the \[Donald\] Trump stuff and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-think-for-a-lot-of-people-it-s-just-where-their-saturation-point/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [It's not about trying to be funny all the time. It's more of a document that hopefully is funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/it-s-not-about-trying-to-be-funny-all-the-time-it-s-more-of-a/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I still think that, hopefully, you're not ahead of the jokes, and I think that has value. There is a punchline and it's pointed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-still-think-that-hopefully-you-re-not-ahead-of-the-jokes-and-i/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [You cannot win a War on Terrorism. It's like having a war on jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/you-cannot-win-a-war-on-terrorism-it-s-like-having-a-war-on-jealousy/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [Most people who have kids are, "Hey, I want another me. I like me. I'm pretty cool, and I've got really great ideas, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/most-people-who-have-kids-are-hey-i-want-another-me-i-like-me-i-m/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I was in Antwerp - which, I had about 20 shows left at that point - and a guy said, "That's Dave Attell's." Also,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-was-in-antwerp-which-i-had-about-20-shows-left-at-that-point-and-a/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [In New York there isn't that weird palpable competitive thing where it's friendly but everyone isn't trying to top one another with jokes when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-there-isn-t-that-weird-palpable-competitive-thing-where/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [So all my friends have kids now... which I think is rude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/so-all-my-friends-have-kids-now-which-i-think-is-rude/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I'm a professional comic. Whether you think I'm funny or not, that's, again, subjective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-m-a-professional-comic-whether-you-think-i-m-funny-or-not-that-s/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) [Explore all 132 David Cross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) ## More People quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) [Browse all 211,607 People quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think people, for the most part, actually want what they think is best.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Cross" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actually-want-what-they-think-is-best/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "People" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actually-want-what-they-think-is-best/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c90/david-cross-3386_people_i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actuall_1821370.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c90/david-cross-3386_people_i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actuall_1821370.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c90/david-cross-3386_people_i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actuall_1821370.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think people, for the most part, actually want what they think is best.” — David Cross", "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": "David Cross", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think people, for the most...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actually-want-what-they-think-is-best/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-think-people-for-the-most-part-actually-want-what-they-think-is-best/#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 } } ] } ```