--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Granted the endless variations of moral…" description: "\"Granted the endless variations of moral customs, still the essential standards persist. As in a scientific laboratory, all else may change but the stan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/harry-emerson-fosdick-3672_accuracy_granted-the-endless-variations-of-moral_1820893.jpg" --- # Granted the endless variations of moral customs, still the… ![“Granted the endless variations of moral customs, still the essential standards persist. As in a scientific laboratory, all else may change but the standards are unalterable- disinterested love of truth, fidelity to facts, accuracy in measurement, exactness of verification-so, in life as a whole…” quote by Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/harry-emerson-fosdick-3672_accuracy_granted-the-endless-variations-of-moral_1820893.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/harry-emerson-fosdick-3672_accuracy_granted-the-endless-variations-of-moral_1820893.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/harry-emerson-fosdick-3672_accuracy_granted-the-endless-variations-of-moral_1820893.jpg) > “Granted the endless variations of moral customs, still the essential standards persist. As in a scientific laboratory, all else may change but the standards are unalterable- disinterested love of truth, fidelity to facts, accuracy in measurement, exactness of verification-so, in life as a whole, the towering ethical criteria remain unshaken. Falsehood is never better than truth, theft better than than honesty, treachery better than loyalty, cowardice better than courage.” [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fundamental moral principles stay constant despite cultural differences, like scientific standards that never change. **In simple terms:** Core ethics stay the same across cultures. Key Takeaway Uphold timeless values. Themes ethics truth integrity Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - cross‑cultural dialogue - education - policy making Key Concepts moral philosophy scientific method Questions to Reflect On - How do we identify universal ethics? - When should cultural nuance override universal standards? A Different Perspective Truth can be contested in practice; applying abstract standards is hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accuracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accuracy/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Cowardice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardice/) [Customs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customs/) [Exactness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exactness/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Falsehood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehood/) [Fidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fidelity/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Laboratory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laboratory/) [Love Of Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-truth/) [Loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Theft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theft/) [Treachery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treachery/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Falsehood is never better than truth, theft better than honesty, treachery better than loyalty, cowardice better than courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/falsehood-is-never-better-than-truth-theft-better-than-honesty/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [Truth and fidelity are the pillars of the temple of the world; when these are broken, the fabric falls, and crushes all to pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-feltham/truth-and-fidelity-are-the-pillars-of-the-temple-of-the-world-when/) [Owen Feltham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-feltham/) > [“Almost all of our relationships begin and most of them continue as forms of mutual exploitation, a mental or physical barter, to be terminated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/almost-all-of-our-relationships-begin-and-most-of-them-continue-as-2/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [The intellectual power, honesty, lucidity, courage, and disinterested love of the truth of the most gifted thinkers of the eighteenth century remain to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-berlin/the-intellectual-power-honesty-lucidity-courage-and-disinterested/) [Isaiah Berlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-berlin/) > [The soul is a temple; and God is silently building it by night and by day. Precious thoughts are building it; disinterested love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/the-soul-is-a-temple-and-god-is-silently-building-it-by-night-and-by/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Agape is disinterested love. . . . Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/agape-is-disinterested-love-agape-does-not-begin-by-discriminating/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“ Agape is disinterested love. It is a love in which the individual seeks not his own good, but the good of his neighbor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/agape-is-disinterested-love-it-is-a-love-in-which-the-individual/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [Even the most disinterested love is, after all, but a kind of bargain, in which self-love always proposes to be the gainer one wayor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/even-the-most-disinterested-love-is-after-all-but-a-kind-of-bargain/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The object of geometry in all its measuring and computing, is to ascertain with exactness the plan of the great Geometer, to penetrate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-peirce/the-object-of-geometry-in-all-its-measuring-and-computing-is-to/) [Benjamin Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-peirce/) > [It will be contributing to bring forward the moment in which, seeing clearer into the nature of things, and having learnt to distinguish real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-will-be-contributing-to-bring-forward-the-moment-in-which-seeing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A great value of antiquity lies in the fact that its writings are the only ones that modern men still read with exactness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/a-great-value-of-antiquity-lies-in-the-fact-that-its-writings-are-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [On the ostensible exactitude of certain branches of human knowledge, including mathematics. The exactness is a fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/on-the-ostensible-exactitude-of-certain-branches-of-human-knowledge/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Whatever does not spring from a man's free choice, or is only the result of instruction and guidance, does not enter into his very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/whatever-does-not-spring-from-a-man-s-free-choice-or-is-only-the/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [He would be guilty of mortal sin, because he exposes himself to the danger of grievously offending God. Hence, before he acts he must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-liguori/he-would-be-guilty-of-mortal-sin-because-he-exposes-himself-to-the/) [Alphonsus Liguori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-liguori/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Harry Emerson Fosdick > [Nothing in human life, least of all in religion, is ever right until it is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/nothing-in-human-life-least-of-all-in-religion-is-ever-right-until-it/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [Life asks not merely what you can do; it asks how much can you endure and not be spoiled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/life-asks-not-merely-what-you-can-do-it-asks-how-much-can-you-endure/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [It is cynicism and fear that freeze life; it is faith that thaws it out, releases it, sets it free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/it-is-cynicism-and-fear-that-freeze-life-it-is-faith-that-thaws-it/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [“Whatever the situation and however disheartening it may be, it is a great hour when a man ceases adopting difficulties as an excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/whatever-the-situation-and-however-disheartening-it-may-be-it-is-a/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [The all but unanimous judgment seems to be that we, the democracies, are just as responsible for the rise of the dictators as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-all-but-unanimous-judgment-seems-to-be-that-we-the-democracies/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [Atheism is a theoretical formulation of the discouraged life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/atheism-is-a-theoretical-formulation-of-the-discouraged-life/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [The most extraordinary thing about the oyster is this. Irritations set into his shell. He does not like them. But when he cannot get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-most-extraordinary-thing-about-the-oyster-is-this-irritations-set/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [The tragedy of war is that it uses man's best to do man's worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-tragedy-of-war-is-that-it-uses-man-s-best-to-do-man-s-worst/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [No one can be wrong with man and right with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/no-one-can-be-wrong-with-man-and-right-with-god/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [No man need stay the way he is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/no-man-need-stay-the-way-he-is/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [Preaching is personal counseling on a group basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/preaching-is-personal-counseling-on-a-group-basis/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [Every year the inventions of science weave more inextricably the web that binds man to man, group to group, nation to nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/every-year-the-inventions-of-science-weave-more-inextricably-the-web/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [He who cannot rest, cannot work; he who cannot let go, cannot hold on; he who cannot find footing, cannot go forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/he-who-cannot-rest-cannot-work-he-who-cannot-let-go-cannot-hold-on-he/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [It is not marriage that fails; it is people that fail. All that marriage does is to show people up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/it-is-not-marriage-that-fails-it-is-people-that-fail-all-that/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [Hold a picture of yourself long and steadily enough in your mind's eye and you will be drawn toward it. Picture yourself vividly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/hold-a-picture-of-yourself-long-and-steadily-enough-in-your-mind-s/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) [Explore all 123 Harry Emerson Fosdick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) ## More Accuracy quotes > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. 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In hardware if you screw it up you are dead. So accuracy really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/in-software-speed-to-market-speed-to-learning-is-really-key-in/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Lawyers tend to be bright people. They tend to be-much more than many journalists I've encountered-sticklers for detail and accuracy, and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/lawyers-tend-to-be-bright-people-they-tend-to-be-much-more-than-many/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [There's a simplicity in typography that demands absolute accuracy... the only way you can experience it is by doing it, and you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-maag/there-s-a-simplicity-in-typography-that-demands-absolute-accuracy-the/) Bruno Maag > [“The only thing that words can do with any real precision or accuracy is hang together. Accuracy of description in language is not possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-only-thing-that-words-can-do-with-any-real-precision-or-accuracy/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Am I accurately reporting what I see in such a blossom? The answer is no ... and yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-lacy/am-i-accurately-reporting-what-i-see-in-such-a-blossom-the-answer-is/) [Allen Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-lacy/) > [Only by being suspended aloft, by dangling my mind in the heavens and mingling my rare thought with the ethereal air, could I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/only-by-being-suspended-aloft-by-dangling-my-mind-in-the-heavens-and/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [Without much accuracy, with strangely little love at all, your family will decide for you exactly who you are, and they'll keep nudging, coaxing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-gurganus/without-much-accuracy-with-strangely-little-love-at-all-your-family/) [Allan Gurganus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-gurganus/) > [The federal government is starting to plan for climate change by making extended forecasts that can help people plan for extreme weather - because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/the-federal-government-is-starting-to-plan-for-climate-change-by/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [Nobody sees reality whole; we all need others to show us the parts of it that they see better than we do. Nobody sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/nobody-sees-reality-whole-we-all-need-others-to-show-us-the-parts-of/) [Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/) > [The state of empathy, or being empathic, is to perceive the internal frame of reference of another with accuracy and with the emotional components…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/the-state-of-empathy-or-being-empathic-is-to-perceive-the-internal/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [What we have learned is that Roland-Jones is a very promising prospect. Because of the way he bowls, he will not blow batsmen away,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-agnew/what-we-have-learned-is-that-roland-jones-is-a-very-promising/) [Jonathan Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-agnew/) [Browse all 388 Accuracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accuracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Granted the endless variations of moral customs, still the essential standards persist. As in a scientific laboratory, all else may change but the standards are unalterable- disinterested love of truth, fidelity to facts, accuracy in measurement, exactness of verification-so, in life as a whole, the towering ethical criteria remain unshaken. 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