--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mind, I am not preaching anything…" description: "\"Mind, I am not preaching anything contrary to accepted morality. I am not advocating free love in this or any other case. Society must go on, I suppose..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/ford-madox-ford-3409_accepted_mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrar_2867222.png" --- # Mind, I am not preaching anything contrary to accepted… ![“Mind, I am not preaching anything contrary to accepted morality. I am not advocating free love in this or any other case. Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly deceitful flourish, and if the passionate, the headstrong, and the…” quote by Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/ford-madox-ford-3409_accepted_mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrar_2867222.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/ford-madox-ford-3409_accepted_mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrar_2867222.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/ford-madox-ford-3409_accepted_mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrar_2867222.png) > “Mind, I am not preaching anything contrary to accepted morality. I am not advocating free love in this or any other case. Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly deceitful flourish, and if the passionate, the headstrong, and the too-truthful are condemned to suicide and madness.” [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society tolerates a mix of virtues and vices; extreme traits are often condemned, suggesting a balance of moral complexity. **In simple terms:** Society needs both good and flawed traits to function. Key Takeaway Accept moral complexity in society. Themes morality society balance Mood analytical critical Type philosophical sociological When to use this quote - political theory - ethics discussions - cultural analysis Key Concepts virtue vice social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you define a balanced society? - Which traits should be celebrated? A Different Perspective May romanticize harmful traits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accepted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepted/) [Accepted Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepted-morality-3902762/) [Advocating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advocating/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Deceitful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceitful/) [Free love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-love/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Headstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headstrong/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Morality Advocating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality-advocating-3902763/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal Virtuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-virtuous-3902764/) [Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate/) [Preaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preaching/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Society Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-exist-1023462/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) [Truthful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truthful/) [Virtuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtuous/) ## Related quotes > [“Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly deceitful flourish, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/society-must-go-on-i-suppose-and-society-can-only-exist-if-the-normal/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [Society cannot exist without etiquette ... It never has, and until our own century, everybody knew that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/society-cannot-exist-without-etiquette-it-never-has-and-until-our-own/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [In a laissez-faire society, there could exist no public institution with the power to forcefully protect people from themselves. From other people (criminals), yes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-hess/in-a-laissez-faire-society-there-could-exist-no-public-institution/) [Karl Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-hess/) > [A lot of problems in the society exist because we don't talk about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anubhav-sinha/a-lot-of-problems-in-the-society-exist-because-we-don-t-talk-about-it/) [Anubhav Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anubhav-sinha/) > [An orderly society cannot exist if every man may decide which laws he will obey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-f-powell-jr/an-orderly-society-cannot-exist-if-every-man-may-decide-which-laws-he/) [Lewis F. Powell, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-f-powell-jr/) > [Society cannot exist without inequality of fortunes and the inequality of fortunes could not subsist without religion. Whenever a half-starved person is near another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/society-cannot-exist-without-inequality-of-fortunes-and-the/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [No society can exist without some means for restraining individual rapacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/no-society-can-exist-without-some-means-for-restraining-individual/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [A society can exist - many do exist - without writing, but no society can exist without reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/a-society-can-exist-many-do-exist-without-writing-but-no-society-can/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Society can exist only on the basis that there is some amount of polished lying and that no one says exactly what he thinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-yutang/society-can-exist-only-on-the-basis-that-there-is-some-amount-of/) [Lin Yutang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-yutang/) > [The business of a scientific school is the dissemination of useful knowledge, and this is a noble enterprise and indispensable withal; society can not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/the-business-of-a-scientific-school-is-the-dissemination-of-useful/) [Albert J. Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/) > [When such a perfect society will be created or if it will ever be created is a question as difficult to answer as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/when-such-a-perfect-society-will-be-created-or-if-it-will-ever-be/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [I think the Earth and everything around it is connected, the sky and the planets and the stars and everything else we see as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-cotillard/i-think-the-earth-and-everything-around-it-is-connected-the-sky-and/) [Marion Cotillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-cotillard/) > [Society cannot exist without law. Law is the bond of society: that which makes it, that which preserves it and keeps it together. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-bradley/society-cannot-exist-without-law-law-is-the-bond-of-society-that/) [Joseph P. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-bradley/) > [No one can live entirely on their own, nor can any country or society exist in isolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/no-one-can-live-entirely-on-their-own-nor-can-any-country-or-society/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [“The morality which emerges from the observation of the whole animal kingdom may be summed up in the words: "Do to others what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kropotkin/the-morality-which-emerges-from-the-observation-of-the-whole-animal/) [Peter Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kropotkin/) ## More by Ford Madox Ford > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“You can't kill a minuet de la coeur. You may shut up the music book... but surely the minuet-- the minuet itself is dancing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/you-can-t-kill-a-minuet-de-la-coeur-you-may-shut-up-the-music-book/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“You see in such a world as this, an idealist -or perhaps it's only a sentimentalist-must be stoned to death. He makes the others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/you-see-in-such-a-world-as-this-an-idealist-or-perhaps-it-s-only-a/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“A gentleman in those days consulted his heirs about tree planting. Should you plant a group of copper beeches against a group of white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/a-gentleman-in-those-days-consulted-his-heirs-about-tree-planting/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“How was it possible that the most honourable man she knew should be so overwhelmed by foul and baseless rumours? It made you suspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/how-was-it-possible-that-the-most-honourable-man-she-knew-should-be/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [It is not merely that people must die and people must suffer, if not here, then there. But what is dreadful is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/it-is-not-merely-that-people-must-die-and-people-must-suffer-if-not/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“But upon my word, I don't know how we put in our time. How does one put in one's time? How is it possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/but-upon-my-word-i-don-t-know-how-we-put-in-our-time-how-does-one-put/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [In every man there are two minds that work side by side, the one checking the other; thus emotion stands against reason, intellect corrects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/in-every-man-there-are-two-minds-that-work-side-by-side-the-one/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“No, by God, it is false! It wasn't a minuet that we stepped; it was a prison - a prison full of screaming hysterics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/no-by-god-it-is-false-it-wasn-t-a-minuet-that-we-stepped-it-was-a/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [Damn it all, it's the first duty of a soldier - it's the first duty of all Englishmen - to be able to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/damn-it-all-it-s-the-first-duty-of-a-soldier-it-s-the-first-duty-of/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“Yes, society must go on; it must breed, like rabbits. That is what we are here for. But then, I don't like society—much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/yes-society-must-go-on-it-must-breed-like-rabbits-that-is-what-we-are/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“The signal for the train's departure was a very bright red; that is about as passionate a statement as I can get into that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/the-signal-for-the-train-s-departure-was-a-very-bright-red-that-is/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [The world is full of places to which I want to return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/the-world-is-full-of-places-to-which-i-want-to-return/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [...she had always known under her mind and now she confessed it: her agony had been, half of it, because one day he would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/she-had-always-known-under-her-mind-and-now-she-confessed-it-her/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“I like the slow, smooth roll of the great big trains—and they are the best trains in the world! I like being drawn through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/i-like-the-slow-smooth-roll-of-the-great-big-trains-and-they-are-the/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) [Explore all 124 Ford Madox Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) ## More Accepted quotes > [Merkel has realized that the euro is not working, but she cannot change the narrative she has created because that narrative has caught the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/merkel-has-realized-that-the-euro-is-not-working-but-she-cannot/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Greatness is not guarding yourself from people. Greatness is being accepted by the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/greatness-is-not-guarding-yourself-from-people-greatness-is-being/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [The idea that this world is a playground instead of a battleground has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of Christians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-idea-that-this-world-is-a-playground-instead-of-a-battleground/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. I wish them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/wishes-for-sons-by-lucille-clifton-i-wish-them-cramps-i-wish-them-a/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [What our species needs, above all else, is a generally accepted ethical system that is compatible with the scientific knowledge we now possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-our-species-needs-above-all-else-is-a-generally-accepted-ethical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are a lot of movies about misfits that are quite cool, that kind of glamorize it on some level. I think there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/there-are-a-lot-of-movies-about-misfits-that-are-quite-cool-that-kind/) [Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/) > [In Quebec City many Muslims have said that they hide their faith because they know that if they don't, if they show that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-pratte/in-quebec-city-many-muslims-have-said-that-they-hide-their-faith/) [Andre Pratte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-pratte/) > [The rules and principles of case law have never been treated as final truths but as working hypotheses, continually retested in those great laboratories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-n-cardozo/the-rules-and-principles-of-case-law-have-never-been-treated-as-final/) [Benjamin N. Cardozo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-n-cardozo/) > [ We have reached a situation where a theory has been accepted as fact by some, and possible contrary evidence is shunted aside. \[This is\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shapiro/we-have-reached-a-situation-where-a-theory-has-been-accepted-as-fact/) [Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shapiro/) > [And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-if-all-others-accepted-the-lie-which-the-party-imposed-if-all/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I was in a conversation and someone said: "You know, we were talking about the whole issue of transgender and how it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-was-in-a-conversation-and-someone-said-you-know-we-were-talking/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Divorce is so common and accepted in America that beating myself up over it may sound ridiculous. But I was raised to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trisha-yearwood/divorce-is-so-common-and-accepted-in-america-that-beating-myself-up/) [Trisha Yearwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trisha-yearwood/) > [Handicaps can be converted into stepping stones on which one may climb toward some worthy goal, unless they are accepted as obstacles, and used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/handicaps-can-be-converted-into-stepping-stones-on-which-one-may/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) [Browse all 2,128 Accepted quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepted/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mind, I am not preaching anything contrary to accepted morality. I am not advocating free love in this or any other case. Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly deceitful flourish, and if the passionate, the headstrong, and the too-truthful are condemned to suicide and madness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ford Madox Ford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrary-to-accepted-morality-i-am/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accepted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrary-to-accepted-morality-i-am/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/ford-madox-ford-3409_accepted_mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrar_2867222.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/ford-madox-ford-3409_accepted_mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrar_2867222.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/ford-madox-ford-3409_accepted_mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrar_2867222.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mind, I am not preaching anything contrary to accepted morality. I am not advocating free love in this or…” — Ford Madox Ford", "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": "Ford Madox Ford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mind, I am not preaching anything...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrary-to-accepted-morality-i-am/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/mind-i-am-not-preaching-anything-contrary-to-accepted-morality-i-am/#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 } } ] } ```