--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A modern man may disapprove of some of…" description: "\"A modern man may disapprove of some of his sweeping reforms, and approve others; but finds it difficult not to admire even where he does not approve.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_admire_a-modern-man-may-disapprove-of-some-of-h_2798746.png" --- # A modern man may disapprove of some of his sweeping… ![“A modern man may disapprove of some of his sweeping reforms, and approve others; but finds it difficult not to admire even where he does not approve.” quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_admire_a-modern-man-may-disapprove-of-some-of-h_2798746.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_admire_a-modern-man-may-disapprove-of-some-of-h_2798746.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_admire_a-modern-man-may-disapprove-of-some-of-h_2798746.png) > “A modern man may disapprove of some of his sweeping reforms, and approve others; but finds it difficult not to admire even where he does not approve.” [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even disapproved reforms can contain admirable elements worth recognizing. **In simple terms:** Find merit in opposing ideas. Key Takeaway Seek common ground despite disagreement. Themes ethics politics open‑mindedness Mood thoughtful balanced Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - policy analysis - public debate - leadership - education Key Concepts critical appraisal balanced judgment Questions to Reflect On - What virtues can you acknowledge in opposing views? - How do you separate merit from flaw? A Different Perspective May ignore harmful aspects of reforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Admire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admire/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Admire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-admire-2015967/) [Disapprove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disapprove/) [Disapprove Sweeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disapprove-sweeping-3434062/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Finds Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finds-difficult-420679/) [Man Disapprove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-disapprove-3434061/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-man/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Sweeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweeping/) ## Related quotes > [Beautiful is difficult. I admire very much the courage of the people who have said, 'Let's do something different. Let's try to see if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/beautiful-is-difficult-i-admire-very-much-the-courage-of-the-people/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [And she finds it difficult to believe—that a person would love her even when she isn't trying. Trying to figure out what other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/and-she-finds-it-difficult-to-believe-that-a-person-would-love-her/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“But she finds it so difficult to verbalize, Charles dear. It helps her if she can quote instead of working out words of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/but-she-finds-it-so-difficult-to-verbalize-charles-dear-it-helps-her/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Reason finds it difficult to take root in the arid soil of wrath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-freeman/reason-finds-it-difficult-to-take-root-in-the-arid-soil-of-wrath/) [Lucy Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-freeman/) > [Proust has listed a great many reasons why it is impossible to be happy, but, in the course of being happy, one finds it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-empson/proust-has-listed-a-great-many-reasons-why-it-is-impossible-to-be/) [William Empson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-empson/) > [I’ll promise to think twice before I take any important step you seriously disapprove of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/i-ll-promise-to-think-twice-before-i-take-any-important-step-you/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [I thoroughly disapprove of duels. 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When people without power see things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-with-power-see-things-happen-of-which-they-disapprove/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing should lessen our satisfaction with ourselves as much as when we notice that we disapprove of something at one time that we approve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/nothing-should-lessen-our-satisfaction-with-ourselves-as-much-as-when/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [On the whole, I rather disapprove of cookbooks, except for the literary ones, like Elizabeth David's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/on-the-whole-i-rather-disapprove-of-cookbooks-except-for-the-literary/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Never disapprove the good things you get and never scornfully look on the bad things you get. You don't know who has it worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-scovell/never-disapprove-the-good-things-you-get-and-never-scornfully-look-on/) [Andrew Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-scovell/) > [“I would disapprove of another hospitable man who was excessive in friendship, as of one excessive in hate. In all things balance is better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/i-would-disapprove-of-another-hospitable-man-who-was-excessive-in/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) ## More by Gilbert K. Chesterton > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Youth is always too serious, and just now it is too serious about frivolity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/youth-is-always-too-serious-and-just-now-it-is-too-serious-about/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Tradition does not mean a dead town; it does not mean that the living are dead but that the dead are alive. It means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/tradition-does-not-mean-a-dead-town-it-does-not-mean-that-the-living/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [It is shorter to state the things forbidden than the things permitted; precisely because most things are permitted and only a few things forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/it-is-shorter-to-state-the-things-forbidden-than-the-things-permitted/) [Gilbert K. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [A building is akin to dogma; it is insolent, like dogma. Whether or no it is permanent, it claims permanence, like a dogma. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/a-building-is-akin-to-dogma-it-is-insolent-like-dogma-whether-or-no/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-triangle-of-truisms-of-father-mother-and-child-cannot-be/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Criticism is only words about words, and of what use are words about such words as these?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/criticism-is-only-words-about-words-and-of-what-use-are-words-about/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place...The old humility was a spur that prevented a man from stopping; not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/what-we-suffer-from-today-is-humility-in-the-wrong-place-the-old/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Plato was only a Bernard Shaw who unfortunately made his jokes in Greek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/plato-was-only-a-bernard-shaw-who-unfortunately-made-his-jokes-in/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The word good has many meanings...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-word-good-has-many-meanings/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/music-with-dinner-is-an-insult-both-to-the-cook-and-the-violinist/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Eugenics asserts that all men must be so stupid that they cannot manage their own affairs; and also so clever that they can manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/eugenics-asserts-that-all-men-must-be-so-stupid-that-they-cannot/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Explore all 868 Gilbert K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) ## More Admire quotes > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn't admire Serena Williams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/i-admire-serena-williams-because-i-mean-who-doesn-t-admire-serena/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [How proud I am to be compared to Oprah. I really admire her. She's a minority woman and she's done all this by herself...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-saralegui/how-proud-i-am-to-be-compared-to-oprah-i-really-admire-her-she-s-a/) [Cristina Saralegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-saralegui/) > [I admire President Obama's ability to trust strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-admire-president-obama-s-ability-to-trust-strangers/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [I really admire people's interactions with technology that aren't tech-centric but use it as a tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/i-really-admire-people-s-interactions-with-technology-that-aren-t/) [Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/) > [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Shaw's works make me admire the magnificent tolerance and broadmindedness of the english.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/shaw-s-works-make-me-admire-the-magnificent-tolerance-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [I believe in a world where there are no heroes, and I've read and know humanity a lot. 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