--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The difficulty was not that of following…" description: "\"“The difficulty was not that of following a moral principle at personal cost; the difficulty was that of knowing what to do when there is more than one..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/elton-trueblood-18687_adversity_the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following_1237733.jpg" --- # The difficulty was not that of following a moral principle… ![“The difficulty was not that of following a moral principle at personal cost; the difficulty was that of knowing what to do when there is more than one principal, and when the principles clash.” quote by Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/elton-trueblood-18687_adversity_the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following_1237733.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/elton-trueblood-18687_adversity_the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following_1237733.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/elton-trueblood-18687_adversity_the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following_1237733.jpg) > ““The difficulty was not that of following a moral principle at personal cost; the difficulty was that of knowing what to do when there is more than one principal, and when the principles clash.”” [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Navigating conflicting moral duties is harder than simply following one principle at personal cost. **In simple terms:** Choosing between clashing principles is difficult. Key Takeaway Identify and prioritize core values. Themes ethics decisionmaking conflict Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - leadership dilemmas - personal dilemmas - policy making - family decisions Key Concepts moral philosophy principle hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - How do you determine which principle takes precedence? - What criteria help resolve ethical conflicts? A Different Perspective Complex situations may lack clear guidance, leading to paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) ## Related quotes > [Science is fundamentally a moral enterprise, following the moral imperative to seek the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/science-is-fundamentally-a-moral-enterprise-following-the-moral/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [There's harmony and inner peace to be found in following a moral compass that points in the same direction regardless of fashion or trend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/there-s-harmony-and-inner-peace-to-be-found-in-following-a-moral/) [Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/) > [Many a man renounces morals, but with great difficulty the conception, 'morality.' 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Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) ## More by Elton Trueblood > [“We are in the monsoons and we must weather it out - the way of wisdom is, instead of pining for calmer days, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/we-are-in-the-monsoons-and-we-must-weather-it-out-the-way-of-wisdom/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [“In the Church he (Lincoln) saw people who, though they hated war as much as the editors did, saw with clarity what the moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/in-the-church-he-lincoln-saw-people-who-though-they-hated-war-as-much/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [“It is most remarkable that Lincoln, when he saw so much that was vulnerable in the leadership of the Church, did not move to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/it-is-most-remarkable-that-lincoln-when-he-saw-so-much-that-was/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [“He (Lincoln) differed from fanatical moralists primarily in that he was always perplexed. 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His was a God who was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/he-lincoln-recognized-the-delicate-balance-between-immanence-and/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [“Always, in Lincoln's mature theology, there is paradox. There is starting this, yet there is also tenderness; there is melancholy, yet there is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/always-in-lincoln-s-mature-theology-there-is-paradox-there-is/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [“He was too perplexed to please the conventional and too reverent. to please the infidels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/he-was-too-perplexed-to-please-the-conventional-and-too-reverent-to/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [“A major element in Lincoln's greatness was the way in which he could hold a strong moral position without the usual accompaniment of self-righteousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/a-major-element-in-lincoln-s-greatness-was-the-way-in-which-he-could/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) > [“Upon being given a Bible, President Abraham Lincoln replied, "In regard to this Great book, I have but to say, it is the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/upon-being-given-a-bible-president-abraham-lincoln-replied-in-regard/) [Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) [Explore all 34 Elton Trueblood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. 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Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) S.E. SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The difficulty was not that of following a moral principle at personal cost; the difficulty was that of knowing what to do when there is more than one principal, and when the principles clash.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elton Trueblood" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following-a-moral-principle-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following-a-moral-principle-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/elton-trueblood-18687_adversity_the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following_1237733.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/elton-trueblood-18687_adversity_the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following_1237733.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/elton-trueblood-18687_adversity_the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following_1237733.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The difficulty was not that of following a moral principle at personal cost; the difficulty was that of…” — Elton Trueblood", "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": "Elton Trueblood", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-trueblood/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The difficulty was not that of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following-a-moral-principle-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-trueblood/the-difficulty-was-not-that-of-following-a-moral-principle-at/#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 } } ] } ```