--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Brand a man as a thief and no one will…" description: "\"“Brand a man as a thief and no one will ever hire him for honest labour – he will be a hardened robber within weeks. The brand does not reveal a person..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/frances-hardinge-1417_brands_brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-e_513489.png" --- # Brand a man as a thief and no one will ever hire him for… ![“Brand a man as a thief and no one will ever hire him for honest labour – he will be a hardened robber within weeks. The brand does not reveal a person’s nature, it shapes it.” quote by Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/frances-hardinge-1417_brands_brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-e_513489.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/frances-hardinge-1417_brands_brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-e_513489.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/frances-hardinge-1417_brands_brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-e_513489.png) > ““Brand a man as a thief and no one will ever hire him for honest labour – he will be a hardened robber within weeks. The brand does not reveal a person’s nature, it shapes it.”” [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A false reputation can become self‑fulfilling, turning a person into the role they were accused of. **In simple terms:** Labels shape behavior and identity. Key Takeaway Beware of labeling others. Themes reputation identity social influence Mood cautious reflective Type advisory psychological When to use this quote - workplace hiring - courtroom judgments - online shaming - family expectations Key Concepts self‑fulfilling prophecy stigma behavioral shaping Questions to Reflect On - How might you protect yourself from harmful labels? - Can you change a reputation once it spreads? A Different Perspective Labels can be resisted with self‑awareness and support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Thief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thief/) [Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) ## Related quotes > [Travelers with naught sing in the robber's face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/travelers-with-naught-sing-in-the-robber-s-face/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [“he who doesn’t come in by the door, but climbs up some other way, that person is a thief and a robber’?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/he-who-doesn-t-come-in-by-the-door-but-climbs-up-some-other-way-that/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [The man whose purse is empty can cheerfully sing before the robber.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/the-man-whose-purse-is-empty-can-cheerfully-sing-before-the-robber/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [ The traveler without money will sing before the robber. \[Lat., Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/the-traveler-without-money-will-sing-before-the-robber-lat-cantabit/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [“792. Thief.-- N. thief, robber, homo trium literarum , pilferer, rifler, filcher, plagiarist. spoiler, depredator, pillager, marauder; harpy, shark, land-shark, falcon, moss-trooper, bushranger, Bedouin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roget/792-thief-n-thief-robber-homo-trium-literarum-pilferer-rifler-filcher/) Roget > [ \[When I die\] if I leave behind me ten pounds...you and all mankind \[may\] bear witness against me, that I have lived and died… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/when-i-die-if-i-leave-behind-me-ten-pounds-you-and-all-mankind-may/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [“Ye are a scoundrel, a black-hearted robber and a rogue,' Stubble said cheerily to the grumbling captain. It was his usual way of haggling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-livingstone/ye-are-a-scoundrel-a-black-hearted-robber-and-a-rogue-stubble-said/) [Ian Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-livingstone/) > [“He ignored her apology. “Jayne? For once, could you drive like you didn’t just knock over a bank?” Jayne laughed. “Sorry, boss. Old habits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-ignored-her-apology-jayne-for-once-could-you-drive-like-you-didn-t/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I was known as the chief grave robber of my state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/i-was-known-as-the-chief-grave-robber-of-my-state/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [They sent me to the pen for five years for a crime that was never committed. I aint no bank robber but that five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-dre/they-sent-me-to-the-pen-for-five-years-for-a-crime-that-was-never/) [Mac Dre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-dre/) > [“Well, what you do with your farm is none of my business,” said Hooper. “It darn sure isn’t!” yelled Ben. “Because your business is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-berenstain/well-what-you-do-with-your-farm-is-none-of-my-business-said-hooper-it/) [Stan Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-berenstain/) > [They say the average bank robber lives within say about 20 miles of the bank that he robs There's this little bank not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-snider/they-say-the-average-bank-robber-lives-within-say-about-20-miles-of/) [Todd Snider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-snider/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“The one thing I learned in my youth as a grave robber was that everyone looks the same when they're dead. We're all equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/the-one-thing-i-learned-in-my-youth-as-a-grave-robber-was-that/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) > [“Not one spark of spirit, not one symptom of resistance, would they have shown till the hand of the Corsican bandit had grasped that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/not-one-spark-of-spirit-not-one-symptom-of-resistance-would-they-have/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) ## More by Frances Hardinge > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Clent, however, suppressed any sense of pity without the slightest difficulty. His brain was busy with the icy clockwork of calculation. If only this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/clent-however-suppressed-any-sense-of-pity-without-the-slightest/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“I swam across the torrent of my madness, and pulled myself upon the shore of a new and better sanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/i-swam-across-the-torrent-of-my-madness-and-pulled-myself-upon-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Before her escort could react, she sprinted out from their little pool of lantern-light into the darkness, her feet pounding the soft, treacherous clods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/before-her-escort-could-react-she-sprinted-out-from-their-little-pool/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“She was not undamaged, however, and she knew it. No food or drink had passed her lips, but she had drunk deep of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/she-was-not-undamaged-however-and-she-knew-it-no-food-or-drink-had/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“All her life, Neverfell had suffered the dull, embarrassed ache of the knowledge that she was always the maddest person in the room. Funnily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/all-her-life-neverfell-had-suffered-the-dull-embarrassed-ache-of-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Well, if you are to help me with my work, you had better get used to stories without endings. True stories seldom have endings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/well-if-you-are-to-help-me-with-my-work-you-had-better-get-used-to/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“And you may comfort yourself with the thought that you have been the caltrop under her satin shoe every step of the way. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/and-you-may-comfort-yourself-with-the-thought-that-you-have-been-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“The little pedlar, it seemed, fancied that he had the tools to fix the wheel. The footmen were glad to hear this, and agreed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/the-little-pedlar-it-seemed-fancied-that-he-had-the-tools-to-fix-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“For a second, she could almost see Caverna as the Kleptomancer did, a murky, monstrous beauty, smiling her fine-fanged smile as she prepared to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/for-a-second-she-could-almost-see-caverna-as-the-kleptomancer-did-a/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you’re sane? That you’ve always been sane? That perhaps you’re the sanest person in the city?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/has-it-ever-occurred-to-you-that-maybe-you-re-sane-that-you-ve-always/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Thank you," she whispered. "I promise I will not interfere in Court business again." "Oh yes, you will." Zouelle looked up to see her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/thank-you-she-whispered-i-promise-i-will-not-interfere-in-court/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“People's personalities took up space, he sometimes thought. When they were trapped in a house or a job or a school together, they rubbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/people-s-personalities-took-up-space-he-sometimes-thought-when-they/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Revenge is a dish best served unexpectedly and from a distance - like a thrown trifle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-unexpectedly-and-from-a-distance-like-a/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Little god, you see the world through such black eyes." "Got no choice. My father give ’em to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/little-god-you-see-the-world-through-such-black-eyes-got-no-choice-my/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) [Explore all 244 Frances Hardinge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) ## More Brands quotes > [“She kneeled down, opened the wine fridge, and scanned the shelves, filled with a variety of white wines. Sam began to pull each bottle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-shipman/she-kneeled-down-opened-the-wine-fridge-and-scanned-the-shelves/) [Viola Shipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-shipman/) > [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [I like that you can easily flip the sheets over and have a different feel or vibe in your room. You don't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-white/i-like-that-you-can-easily-flip-the-sheets-over-and-have-a-different/) [Shaun White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-white/) > [I feel that if your soul was branded by the sixties, you never lost the brand. It's like going into a nightclub and having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-feel-that-if-your-soul-was-branded-by-the-sixties-you-never-lost/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [ I don't feel the need to brand myself in that way \[social media\]. But as a means to share information and raise awareness of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-don-t-feel-the-need-to-brand-myself-in-that-way-social-media-but-as/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [ What are you for? It may be, to a degree, consoling that white brothers and sisters did not vote for \[Donald\] Trump, and do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/what-are-you-for-it-may-be-to-a-degree-consoling-that-white-brothers/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [I have an office full of product from brands trying to be in videos and an inbox full of songs from artists, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-kluger/i-have-an-office-full-of-product-from-brands-trying-to-be-in-videos/) [Adam Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-kluger/) > [I wish Elton Brand the best. He's a great guy. He's always going to be a great friend of mine, regardless of what goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-davis/i-wish-elton-brand-the-best-he-s-a-great-guy-he-s-always-going-to-be/) [Baron Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-davis/) > [I have a twelve year old sex doll. Brand new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-a-twelve-year-old-sex-doll-brand-new/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Sourav's greatest asset is his ability to communicate. He is a naturally very confident person. He encourages his team, is a great motivator and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shastri/sourav-s-greatest-asset-is-his-ability-to-communicate-he-is-a/) [Ravi Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shastri/) > [I think that, honestly, people's censorship issues are personal but I disagree with most of those personal choices that I see others make. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-think-that-honestly-people-s-censorship-issues-are-personal-but-i/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [I don't care for brands. I'm more of a boutique shopper because the things I will find there are unique, and there won't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-tripathi/i-don-t-care-for-brands-i-m-more-of-a-boutique-shopper-because-the/) [Shweta Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-tripathi/) > [It was psychobabbler Abraham Maslow who wrote of the phenomena of self-actualization. What Maslow failed to grasp is that reaching true self-actualization can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/it-was-psychobabbler-abraham-maslow-who-wrote-of-the-phenomena-of/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [When I went to do "Carson" that night, they wanted us to do two songs, but we were a brand new band. "Conga" hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/when-i-went-to-do-carson-that-night-they-wanted-us-to-do-two-songs/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) Browse all 1,572 Brands quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Brand a man as a thief and no one will ever hire him for honest labour – he will be a hardened robber within weeks. The brand does not reveal a person’s nature, it shapes it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frances Hardinge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-ever-hire-him-for-honest/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brands" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-ever-hire-him-for-honest/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/frances-hardinge-1417_brands_brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-e_513489.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/frances-hardinge-1417_brands_brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-e_513489.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/frances-hardinge-1417_brands_brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-e_513489.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Brand a man as a thief and no one will ever hire him for honest labour – he will be a hardened robber within…” — Frances Hardinge", "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": "Frances Hardinge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Brand a man as a thief...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-ever-hire-him-for-honest/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/brand-a-man-as-a-thief-and-no-one-will-ever-hire-him-for-honest/#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 } } ] } ```