--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ah! if man would but see that hope is…" description: "\"“Ah! if man would but see that hope is from within and not from without--that he himself must work out his own salvation! He is there, and within him i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/h-rider-haggard-3876_good-and-evil_ah-if-man-would-but-see-that-hope-is-fro_1124091.jpg" --- # Ah! if man would but see that hope is from within and not… ![“Ah! if man would but see that hope is from within and not from without--that he himself must work out his own salvation! He is there, and within him is the breath of life and a knowledge of good and evil as good and evil is to him. Thereon let him build and stand erect, and not cast himself before…” quote by H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/h-rider-haggard-3876_good-and-evil_ah-if-man-would-but-see-that-hope-is-fro_1124091.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/h-rider-haggard-3876_good-and-evil_ah-if-man-would-but-see-that-hope-is-fro_1124091.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/h-rider-haggard-3876_good-and-evil_ah-if-man-would-but-see-that-hope-is-fro_1124091.jpg) > ““Ah! if man would but see that hope is from within and not from without--that he himself must work out his own salvation! He is there, and within him is the breath of life and a knowledge of good and evil as good and evil is to him. Thereon let him build and stand erect, and not cast himself before the image of some unknown God, modelled like his poor self, but with a bigger brain to think the evil thing, and a longer arm to do it.”” [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote urges inner reliance for moral guidance, warning against worshiping external, imagined deities and urging self‑determination. **In simple terms:** Rely on inner moral compass, not external idols. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner strength and personal responsibility. Themes self‑reliance morality individualism Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decision making - spiritual reflection - overcoming external pressure - building self‑esteem Key Concepts inner guidance self‑determination ethical autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish inner truth from societal expectations? - What practices help you trust your inner moral sense? A Different Perspective Neglects communal or relational aspects of morality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-good/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation/) [Salvation Breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation-breath-3056544/) [Think Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-evil/) ## Related quotes > [“Each religion claims the future for its followers; or, at least, the good thereof. The evil is for those benighted ones who will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/each-religion-claims-the-future-for-its-followers-or-at-least-the/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“It was granted me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-was-granted-me-to-carry-away-from-my-prison-years-on-my-bent-back/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [We're all caught up in circumstances, and we're all good and evil. When you're really hungry, for instance, you'll do anything to survive. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/we-re-all-caught-up-in-circumstances-and-we-re-all-good-and-evil-when/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [“I don't think of myself as evil, but no can say they've led a perfect life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-mallory/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-evil-but-no-can-say-they-ve-led-a-perfect/) [H.P. 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Rider Haggard > [Men and women, empires and cities, thrones, principalities, and powers, mountains, rivers, and unfathomed seas, worlds, spaces, and universes, all have their day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/men-and-women-empires-and-cities-thrones-principalities-and-powers/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“The moon grows black before your eyes; soon there will be darkness—ay, darkness in the hour of the full moon. Ye have asked for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/the-moon-grows-black-before-your-eyes-soon-there-will-be-darkness-ay/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“Fourth reason and last: Because I am going to tell the strangest story that I remember. It may seem a queer thing to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/fourth-reason-and-last-because-i-am-going-to-tell-the-strangest-story/) [H. 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Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [It is awkward to listen to oneself being praised, and I was always a shy man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/it-is-awkward-to-listen-to-oneself-being-praised-and-i-was-always-a/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“The Garden of Eden, no doubt, looked fair before man was, but I always think that it must have been fairer when Eve adorned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/the-garden-of-eden-no-doubt-looked-fair-before-man-was-but-i-always/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“Very good; then here we have it—'4 June, total eclipse of the moon commences at 8.15 Greenwich time, visible in Teneriffe—South Africa, &c.' There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/very-good-then-here-we-have-it-4-june-total-eclipse-of-the-moon/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [Adventurer: he that goes to meet whatever may come. Well, that is what we all do in the world one way or another...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/adventurer-he-that-goes-to-meet-whatever-may-come-well-that-is-what/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“...For like a rugged tree you are hard and sound at the core.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/for-like-a-rugged-tree-you-are-hard-and-sound-at-the-core/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“Listen! What is life? It is a feather, it is the seed of the grass, blown hither and thither, sometimes multiplying itself and dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/listen-what-is-life-it-is-a-feather-it-is-the-seed-of-the-grass-blown/) [H. 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Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) [Explore all 119 H. Rider Haggard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. 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