---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whoso neglects a thing which he suspects…"
description: "\"Whoso neglects a thing which he suspects he ought to do, because it seems to him too small a thing, is deceiving himself; it is not too little, but too..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/edward-bouverie-pusey-44891_deceiving_whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects_856301.jpg"
---

#  Whoso neglects a thing which he suspects he ought to do…

![“Whoso neglects a thing which he suspects he ought to do, because it seems to him too small a thing, is deceiving himself; it is not too little, but too great for him, that he doeth it not.” quote by Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/edward-bouverie-pusey-44891_deceiving_whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects_856301.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/edward-bouverie-pusey-44891_deceiving_whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects_856301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/edward-bouverie-pusey-44891_deceiving_whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects_856301.jpg)

> “Whoso neglects a thing which he suspects he ought to do, because it seems to him too small a thing, is deceiving himself; it is not too little, but too great for him, that he doeth it not.”

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Neglecting small duties deceives oneself; they may be crucial despite seeming trivial.

**In simple terms:** Small tasks can be vital.

Key Takeaway

Attend to minor responsibilities.

Themes

responsibility self‑deception attention to detail

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- daily chores
- administrative work
- health routines

Key Concepts

ethics habit formation prioritization

Questions to Reflect On

- What small task have you ignored?
- How could addressing it change outcomes?

A Different Perspective

Focusing on minutiae may distract from larger goals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Deceiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceiving/) [Deceiving Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceiving-little-804618/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Neglect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglect/) [Neglects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglects/) [Neglects Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglects-thing-804616/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Ought Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought-small-804617/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Suspects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suspects/)

## Related quotes

> [The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-father-who-does-not-teach-his-son-his-duties-is-equally-guilty/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [Every man has something to do which he neglects, every man has faults to conquer which he delays to combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/every-man-has-something-to-do-which-he-neglects-every-man-has-faults/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [“What the world neglects, the Lord accepts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-brodie/what-the-world-neglects-the-lord-accepts/)

[Deborah Brodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-brodie/)

> [“Tolstoy carelessly neglects to include a boat race.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tolstoy-carelessly-neglects-to-include-a-boat-race/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When the human race neglects its weaker members, when the family neglects its weakest one - it's the first blow in a suicidal movement.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/when-the-human-race-neglects-its-weaker-members-when-the-family-2/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [He who neglects the present moment throws away all he has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/he-who-neglects-the-present-moment-throws-away-all-he-has/)

[Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/)

> [He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-neglects-what-is-done-for-what-ought-to-be-done-sooner-effects/)

[Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/)

> [Even if I have a good day, I still am aware of other people that are going through really hard, tumultuous things. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-scott/even-if-i-have-a-good-day-i-still-am-aware-of-other-people-that-are/)

[Christian Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-scott/)

> [“The gulf between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who neglects what is actually done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/the-gulf-between-how-one-should-live-and-how-one-does-live-is-so-wide/)

[Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/)

> [One who neglects or disregards the existence of earth, air, fire, water and vegetation disregards his own existence which is entwined with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahavira/one-who-neglects-or-disregards-the-existence-of-earth-air-fire-water/)

[Mahavira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahavira/)

> [She neglects her heart who too closely studies her glass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/she-neglects-her-heart-who-too-closely-studies-her-glass/)

[Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/)

> [Those who trust others will find that not everyone is necessarily sincere, but they will be sincere themselves. Those who suspect others will find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zicheng-hong/those-who-trust-others-will-find-that-not-everyone-is-necessarily/)

[Zicheng Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zicheng-hong/)

> [Who’s to say that it takes something like a drug to mess with your perception of reality? How did Hitler deceive a nation? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/who-s-to-say-that-it-takes-something-like-a-drug-to-mess-with-your/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [We deceive ourselves when giving respect to the person for whom we have surrendered ourselves, when we respectively expect them to be as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-deceive-ourselves-when-giving-respect-to-the-person-for-whom-we/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

## More by Edward Bouverie Pusey

> [Learn to commend thy daily acts to God, so shall the dry every-day duties of common life be steps to heaven, and lift they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/learn-to-commend-thy-daily-acts-to-god-so-shall-the-dry-every-day/)

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

> [Never dwell on the tomorrow; remember, that it's God's and not ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/never-dwell-on-the-tomorrow-remember-that-it-s-god-s-and-not-ours/)

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

> [“If we wished to gain contentment, we might try such rules as these: 1. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/if-we-wished-to-gain-contentment-we-might-try-such-rules-as-these-1/)

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

> [Practice in life whatever you pray for and God will give it to you more abundantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/practice-in-life-whatever-you-pray-for-and-god-will-give-it-to-you/)

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

> [In all adversity, what God takes away He may give us back with increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/in-all-adversity-what-god-takes-away-he-may-give-us-back-with-increase/)

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

> [Take steadily some one sin, which seems to stand out before thee, to root it out, by God's grace, and every fibre of it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/take-steadily-some-one-sin-which-seems-to-stand-out-before-thee-to/)

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

> [God's chief gift to those who seek him is Himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/god-s-chief-gift-to-those-who-seek-him-is-himself/)

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

> [“God does not take away trials or carry us over them, but strengthens us through them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/god-does-not-take-away-trials-or-carry-us-over-them-but-strengthens/)

[Edward Bouverie Pusey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

[Explore all 9 Edward Bouverie Pusey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/)

## More Deceiving quotes

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [We deceive ourselves when giving respect to the person for whom we have surrendered ourselves, when we respectively expect them to be as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-deceive-ourselves-when-giving-respect-to-the-person-for-whom-we/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Who’s to say that it takes something like a drug to mess with your perception of reality? How did Hitler deceive a nation? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/who-s-to-say-that-it-takes-something-like-a-drug-to-mess-with-your/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [“She knows she's deceiving herself about that, but she prefers to deceive herself. She desperately needs to believe such pure joy is still possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/she-knows-she-s-deceiving-herself-about-that-but-she-prefers-to/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [Half-instructed confessors have done my soul great harm; for I could not always have such learned ones as I would have desired. They certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/half-instructed-confessors-have-done-my-soul-great-harm-for-i-could/)

[Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/)

> [The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-intention-of-never-deceiving-often-exposes-us-to-deception/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [It is unhappily true that much insincere Literature and Art, executed solely with a view to effect, does succeed by deceiving the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-lewes/it-is-unhappily-true-that-much-insincere-literature-and-art-executed/)

[George Henry Lewes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-lewes/)

> [Amusement that is excessive and followed only for its own sake, allures and deceives us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/amusement-that-is-excessive-and-followed-only-for-its-own-sake/)

[Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/)

> [“Looks sure can be deceiving: not every ‘ugly’ person is a ‘bad’ person (or is guilty of whatever it is that they are accused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/looks-sure-can-be-deceiving-not-every-ugly-person-is-a-bad-person-or/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“The man was no stranger to deception, and yet his heart was pounding wildly now. He took another deep, throbbing breath. You've been deceiving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/the-man-was-no-stranger-to-deception-and-yet-his-heart-was-pounding/)

[Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/)

> [Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-oneself-for-what-we-wish-we-readily/)

[Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/)

> [No, it's not that they're bad. It's that they're obliged to pretend they're good. They've been brought up to deceive and be cunning, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/no-it-s-not-that-they-re-bad-it-s-that-they-re-obliged-to-pretend/)

[Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/)

> [You should have taken me with you," I whisper to him. Then I lean my head against his and begin to cry. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/you-should-have-taken-me-with-you-i-whisper-to-him-then-i-lean-my/)

[Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/)

> [I smile but it doesn't mean that I'm okay and happy. Remember, looks can be deceiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-smile-but-it-doesn-t-mean-that-i-m-okay-and-happy-remember-looks/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Cunning grows in deceit at seeing itself discovered, and tries to deceive with truth itselft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cunning-grows-in-deceit-at-seeing-itself-discovered-and-tries-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 704 Deceiving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceiving/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Whoso neglects a thing which he suspects he ought to do, because it seems to him too small a thing, is deceiving himself; it is not too little, but too great for him, that he doeth it not.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edward Bouverie Pusey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects-he-ought-to-do-because-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deceiving"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects-he-ought-to-do-because-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/edward-bouverie-pusey-44891_deceiving_whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects_856301.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/edward-bouverie-pusey-44891_deceiving_whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects_856301.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/edward-bouverie-pusey-44891_deceiving_whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects_856301.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Whoso neglects a thing which he suspects he ought to do, because it seems to him too small a thing, is…” — Edward Bouverie Pusey",
                "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": "Edward Bouverie Pusey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bouverie-pusey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Whoso neglects a thing which he...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects-he-ought-to-do-because-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bouverie-pusey/whoso-neglects-a-thing-which-he-suspects-he-ought-to-do-because-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
