--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How many people would like to be good, if…" description: "\"How many people would like to be good, if only they might be good without taking trouble about it! They do not like goodness well enough to hunger and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/george-macdonald-295_be-good_how-many-people-would-like-to-be-good-if_2390301.png" --- # How many people would like to be good, if only they might… ![“How many people would like to be good, if only they might be good without taking trouble about it! They do not like goodness well enough to hunger and thirst after it, or to sell all that they have that they may buy it; they will not batter at the gate of the kingdom of heaven; but they look with…” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/george-macdonald-295_be-good_how-many-people-would-like-to-be-good-if_2390301.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/george-macdonald-295_be-good_how-many-people-would-like-to-be-good-if_2390301.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/george-macdonald-295_be-good_how-many-people-would-like-to-be-good-if_2390301.png) > “How many people would like to be good, if only they might be good without taking trouble about it! They do not like goodness well enough to hunger and thirst after it, or to sell all that they have that they may buy it; they will not batter at the gate of the kingdom of heaven; but they look with pleasure on this or that aerial castle of righteousness, and think it would be rather nice to live in it.” [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often desire goodness but avoid the effort and sacrifice it demands. **In simple terms:** Goodness requires effort, not just desire. Key Takeaway Commit to active goodness despite inconvenience. Themes morality effort desire spirituality Mood thoughtful inspirational Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - charitable work - personal integrity - community service - daily choices Key Concepts ethical philosophy virtue ethics Questions to Reflect On - What effort are you willing to make for virtue? - How can you turn desire into action? A Different Perspective Convenient comforts often outweigh moral discipline. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Castles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/castles/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) [Hunger and thirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger-and-thirst/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Kingdom of heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-of-heaven/) [Kingdoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdoms/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Righteousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteousness/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes, you will go through awful trials in your life and then a miracle happens--God heals you. Don’t be disheartened when the people you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/sometimes-you-will-go-through-awful-trials-in-your-life-and-then-a/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [We were given appetites, not to consume the world and forget it, but to taste its goodness and hunger to make it great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-farrar-capon/we-were-given-appetites-not-to-consume-the-world-and-forget-it-but-to-2/) [Robert Farrar Capon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-farrar-capon/) > [“We were given appetites, not to consume the world and forget it, but to taste its goodness and hunger to make it great. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-farrar-capon/we-were-given-appetites-not-to-consume-the-world-and-forget-it-but-to/) [Robert Farrar Capon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-farrar-capon/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“Some people are like that: they are made of goodness, their every look spreads tenderness, and from their hands caresses fall all the year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-chamoiseau/some-people-are-like-that-they-are-made-of-goodness-their-every-look/) Patrick Chamoiseau > [“I didn't know much about the world, but there was something about you I was immediately drawn to. It's like I just wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-didn-t-know-much-about-the-world-but-there-was-something-about-you/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [The kingdom of heaven is not come even when God's will is our law; it is fully come when God's will is our will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-not-come-even-when-god-s-will-is-our-law-it/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“His theories of religion were neither large nor lofty; he accepted those that were handed down to him, and did not trouble himself as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/his-theories-of-religion-were-neither-large-nor-lofty-he-accepted/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“But the more familiar one becomes with any religious system, while yet the conscience and will are unawakened and obedience has not begun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/but-the-more-familiar-one-becomes-with-any-religious-system-while-yet/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“I would I were in the kingdom of heaven if it be as you and Mr. Graham take it for!" said Clementina. "You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-would-i-were-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven-if-it-be-as-you-and-mr-graham/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Not for years and years had Janet been to church; she had long been unable to walk so far; and having no book but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/not-for-years-and-years-had-janet-been-to-church-she-had-long-been/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The hunger and thirst for knowledge, the keen delight in the chase, the good humored willingness to admit that the scent was false, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-william-maitland/the-hunger-and-thirst-for-knowledge-the-keen-delight-in-the-chase-the/) Frederic William Maitland > [Is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men's minds are also injured by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mencius/is-it-only-the-mouth-and-belly-which-are-injured-by-hunger-and-thirst/) [Mencius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mencius/) > [The God of Love lives in a state of need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-god-of-love-lives-in-a-state-of-need/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Each person, and every people hungers and thirsts for peace; therefore, it is necessary and urgent to build peace!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/each-person-and-every-people-hungers-and-thirsts-for-peace-therefore/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More by George MacDonald > [“No revelation can be other than partial. If for true revelation a man must be told all the truth, then farewell to revelation; yea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/no-revelation-can-be-other-than-partial-if-for-true-revelation-a-man/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [In low theologies, hell is invariably the deepest truth, and the love of God is not so deep as hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/in-low-theologies-hell-is-invariably-the-deepest-truth-and-the-love/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Life and religion are one, or neither is any thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/life-and-religion-are-one-or-neither-is-any-thing/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The region belonging to the pure intellect is straitened: the imagination labours to extend its territories, to give it room. She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/come-then-affliction-if-my-father-wills-and-be-my-frowning-friend-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Ah, what is it we send up thither, where our thoughts are either a dissonance or a sweetness and a grace?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/ah-what-is-it-we-send-up-thither-where-our-thoughts-are-either-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [You must learn to be strong in the dark as well as in the day, else you will always be only half brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-must-learn-to-be-strong-in-the-dark-as-well-as-in-the-day-else/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/few-delights-can-equal-the-mere-presence-of-one-whom-we-trust-utterly/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“You have tasted of death now,” said the old man. “Is it good?” “It is good,” said Mossy. “It is better than life.” “No,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-have-tasted-of-death-now-said-the-old-man-is-it-good-it-is-good/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [ “I wish I had \[made that song\]. No, I don't That would be to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-wish-i-had-made-that-song-no-i-don-t-that-would-be-to-take-it-from/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Past tears are present strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/past-tears-are-present-strength/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/age-is-not-all-decay-it-is-the-ripening-the-swelling-of-the-fresh/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I want to help you grow as beautiful as God meant you to be when he thought of you first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-want-to-help-you-grow-as-beautiful-as-god-meant-you-to-be-when-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Immeasurably imperfect it was, but false the impression could not be, for she saw with the eyes made for seeing, and saw indeed what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/immeasurably-imperfect-it-was-but-false-the-impression-could-not-be/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Those that hope little cannot grow much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/those-that-hope-little-cannot-grow-much/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) [Explore all 720 George MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [What's good for the very rich might not be good for anybody but them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/what-s-good-for-the-very-rich-might-not-be-good-for-anybody-but-them/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How many people would like to be good, if only they might be good without taking trouble about it! 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