--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Honesty, integrity, and intelligence…" description: "\"“Honesty, integrity, and intelligence cannot be kept down.”\" — Gene Wolfe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/gene-wolfe-2530_honesty-integrity_honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-canno_1934634.jpg" --- # Honesty, integrity, and intelligence cannot be kept down. ![“Honesty, integrity, and intelligence cannot be kept down.” quote by Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/gene-wolfe-2530_honesty-integrity_honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-canno_1934634.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/gene-wolfe-2530_honesty-integrity_honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-canno_1934634.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/gene-wolfe-2530_honesty-integrity_honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-canno_1934634.jpg) > ““Honesty, integrity, and intelligence cannot be kept down.”” [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Honesty, integrity, and intelligence are resilient traits that cannot be suppressed indefinitely. **In simple terms:** Truthful traits eventually surface. Key Takeaway Uphold truth and intellect despite pressure. Themes ethics integrity truth Mood inspirational cautious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - workplace - politics - personal relationships Key Concepts morality cognitive freedom resilience Questions to Reflect On - When have you seen truth prevail? - What risks come with being honest? A Different Perspective Oppressive forces may temporarily hide truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Honesty integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty-integrity/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Integrity Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity-intelligence-3047138/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Intelligence Kept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-kept-3047137/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [It is now, more than ever, necessary that political leaders be outstanding for honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/it-is-now-more-than-ever-necessary-that-political-leaders-be/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I'd like to introduce someone who has just come into my life. I've admired him for 35 years. He's someone who represents integrity, honesty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-d-like-to-introduce-someone-who-has-just-come-into-my-life-i-ve/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [If you're Obama, can you imagine being lectured to about honesty and integrity from a convicted perjurer, Bill Clinton? My gosh, folks, I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/if-you-re-obama-can-you-imagine-being-lectured-to-about-honesty-and/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ \[Islam\] inspires countless individuals to lead lives of honesty, integrity, and morality. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/islam-inspires-countless-individuals-to-lead-lives-of-honesty/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“We may not have everything in life. But we can work with honesty, integrity, and passion to achieve the things that we want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/we-may-not-have-everything-in-life-but-we-can-work-with-honesty/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“We all need salespeople with humility, honesty, integrity, empathy and an old-fashioned work ethic that ensures the job gets done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/we-all-need-salespeople-with-humility-honesty-integrity-empathy-and/) [Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/) > [“A reputation for honesty and integrity is one of those “intangible assets” that pays off in ways we can never fully anticipate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-turak/a-reputation-for-honesty-and-integrity-is-one-of-those-intangible/) [August Turak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-turak/) > [Courage is the enforcing virtue, the one that makes possible all the other virtues common to exceptional leaders: honesty, integrity, confidence, compassion and humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/courage-is-the-enforcing-virtue-the-one-that-makes-possible-all-the/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Vote to protect your family. Vote for honesty, integrity, and accountability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/vote-to-protect-your-family-vote-for-honesty-integrity-and/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/goodness-is-about-character-integrity-honesty-kindness-generosity/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Growing up in northern Kentucky, honesty, integrity and character were revered traits, and - with my family - I looked to the greatest generation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/growing-up-in-northern-kentucky-honesty-integrity-and-character-were/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) > [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/) [Alan Sheinwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sheinwald/) > [“I want my client’s to know that they have my complete understanding, compassion and respect. I believe there can be no mis-takes in God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-newman/i-want-my-client-s-to-know-that-they-have-my-complete-understanding/) [Janice Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-newman/) > [The most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hard work familynever forgetting where we came from,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lucas/the-most-important-thing-in-business-is-honesty-integrity-hard-work/) [Frank Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lucas/) ## More by Gene Wolfe > [Some writers say they cannot write in front of a window; many say they cannot function without almost perfect quiet. A writer with only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/some-writers-say-they-cannot-write-in-front-of-a-window-many-say-they/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“Sometimes driven aground by the photon storms, by the swirling of the galaxies, clockwise and counterclockwise, ticking with light down the dark sea-corridors lined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/sometimes-driven-aground-by-the-photon-storms-by-the-swirling-of-the/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“There are beings—and artifacts—against which we batter our intelligence raw, and in the end make peace with reality only by saying, “It was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/there-are-beings-and-artifacts-against-which-we-batter-our/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [Science has so accustomed us to devising and accepting theories to account for the facts we observe, however fantastic, that our minds must begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/science-has-so-accustomed-us-to-devising-and-accepting-theories-to/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“The experienced feel love or desire, or both. The inexperienced are sick with a thousand feelings, most of them unformed: fearful that they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/the-experienced-feel-love-or-desire-or-both-the-inexperienced-are/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“For those who have never attended a science fiction convention, masquerades are features of most of the larger ones. Awards are presented for best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/for-those-who-have-never-attended-a-science-fiction-convention/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“He had a wild yellow beard and long, tangled hair that stood out from his head in a way that made it seem too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/he-had-a-wild-yellow-beard-and-long-tangled-hair-that-stood-out-from/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [ ...in some situations winning consist\[s\] of disentangling oneself. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/in-some-situations-winning-consist-s-of-disentangling-oneself/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“For after all, if the lives of most men are examined in detail, it will be found that they have been experts of immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/for-after-all-if-the-lives-of-most-men-are-examined-in-detail-it-will/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [You never learn how to write a novel. You just learn how to write the novel that you're writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/you-never-learn-how-to-write-a-novel-you-just-learn-how-to-write-the/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [There is no magic. There is only knowledge, more or less hidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/there-is-no-magic-there-is-only-knowledge-more-or-less-hidden/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“...the progress of science depends much less upon either theoretical considerations or systematic investigation than is commonly believed, but rather on the transmittal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/the-progress-of-science-depends-much-less-upon-either-theoretical/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“Whatever we may say, all of us suffer from disturbed sleep at times. Some in truth hardly sleep, though some who sleep copiously swear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/whatever-we-may-say-all-of-us-suffer-from-disturbed-sleep-at-times/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“. . .Consciousness came and went. Consciousness went and came like the errant winds of spring, and I, who so often have had difficulty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/consciousness-came-and-went-consciousness-went-and-came-like-the/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) [Explore all 160 Gene Wolfe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) ## More Honesty quotes > [The greatest gift you can give to those around you is honesty. Sometimes honest words may sting the heart, but dishonesty pierces deep into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-to-those-around-you-is-honesty/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [If You Love Someone, Be Brave Enough To Tell Them., Otherwise Be Brave Enough To Watch Them To Be Loved By Someone Else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/if-you-love-someone-be-brave-enough-to-tell-them-otherwise-be-brave/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [Honesty in politics is the result of strength; hypocrisy is the result of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/honesty-in-politics-is-the-result-of-strength-hypocrisy-is-the-result/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/in-all-honesty-once-you-become-a-professional-number-one-you-re-no/) [Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/) > [Honest people don't hide their deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/honest-people-don-t-hide-their-deeds/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-quality-an-artist-must-have-is-objectivity-in-judging-his-work/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I think honesty is a big part. Because when you sing live, you want the audience to believe you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pixie-lott/i-think-honesty-is-a-big-part-because-when-you-sing-live-you-want-the/) [Pixie Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pixie-lott/) > [Anything well written with good language and clarity and honesty is worth doing. It comes out of the same tradition as Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/anything-well-written-with-good-language-and-clarity-and-honesty-is/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [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/) > [Former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and the radical Islamist mullahs ruling Iran share many similarities, but honesty and negotiating in good faith are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hoekstra/former-libyan-dictator-moammar-gadhafi-and-the-radical-islamist/) [Pete Hoekstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hoekstra/) > [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Don't worry so much about your self-esteem. Worry more about your character. Integrity is its own reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/don-t-worry-so-much-about-your-self-esteem-worry-more-about-your/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [“Teach honesty by all means - you do know what it is, don't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/teach-honesty-by-all-means-you-do-know-what-it-is-don-t-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [America today is a confused society, caught up in a terror war, a culture war, and a media war, where honesty and professional standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/america-today-is-a-confused-society-caught-up-in-a-terror-war-a/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [There's a need for music that has urgency and emotional honesty. That's why people are reintroducing themselves to guitar music - that instrument has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mura-masa/there-s-a-need-for-music-that-has-urgency-and-emotional-honesty-that/) [Mura Masa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mura-masa/) [Browse all 4,388 Honesty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Honesty, integrity, and intelligence cannot be kept down.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gene Wolfe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-cannot-be-kept-down/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Honesty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-cannot-be-kept-down/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/gene-wolfe-2530_honesty-integrity_honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-canno_1934634.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/gene-wolfe-2530_honesty-integrity_honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-canno_1934634.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/gene-wolfe-2530_honesty-integrity_honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-canno_1934634.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Honesty, integrity, and intelligence cannot be kept down.” — Gene Wolfe", "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": "Gene Wolfe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Honesty, integrity, and intelligence cannot be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-cannot-be-kept-down/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/honesty-integrity-and-intelligence-cannot-be-kept-down/#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 } } ] } ```