--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a momentous fact that a man may be…" description: "\"It is a momentous fact that a man may be good, or he may be bad; his life may be true, or it may be false; it may be either a shame or a glory to him. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_bad-man_it-is-a-momentous-fact-that-a-man-may-be_991902.jpg" --- # It is a momentous fact that a man may be good, or he may… ![“It is a momentous fact that a man may be good, or he may be bad; his life may be true, or it may be false; it may be either a shame or a glory to him. The good man builds himself up; the bad man destroys himself.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_bad-man_it-is-a-momentous-fact-that-a-man-may-be_991902.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_bad-man_it-is-a-momentous-fact-that-a-man-may-be_991902.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/henry-david-thoreau-20_bad-man_it-is-a-momentous-fact-that-a-man-may-be_991902.jpg) > “It is a momentous fact that a man may be good, or he may be bad; his life may be true, or it may be false; it may be either a shame or a glory to him. The good man builds himself up; the bad man destroys himself.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human character swings between good and bad; truth and falsehood shape our legacy. **In simple terms:** People choose good or bad paths. Key Takeaway Cultivate virtue, avoid self-destruction. Themes morality self-development truth legacy Mood reflective serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - education - personal counseling - community leadership Key Concepts ethical dualism personal responsibility character building Questions to Reflect On - What actions define a good life? - How do we reconcile personal flaws with societal expectations? A Different Perspective Simplifying complex moral choices into binary categories can be misleading. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Great hearts alone understand how much glory there is in being good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-michelet/great-hearts-alone-understand-how-much-glory-there-is-in-being-good/) [Jules Michelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-michelet/) > [It is a well known fact that a man learns best that which he endeavors to teach others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/it-is-a-well-known-fact-that-a-man-learns-best-that-which-he/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Each of us has a day .. when he has to accept, finally, the fact that he is a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/each-of-us-has-a-day-when-he-has-to-accept-finally-the-fact-that-he/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [There are no "facts"- there is only the fact that man, every man everywhere in the world, is on his way to ordination. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/there-are-no-facts-there-is-only-the-fact-that-man-every-man/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [There is always one fact more in every man's case about which we know nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/there-is-always-one-fact-more-in-every-man-s-case-about-which-we-know/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You are wrong, sir, if you think that a man who is any good at all should take into account the risk of life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/you-are-wrong-sir-if-you-think-that-a-man-who-is-any-good-at-all/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“Now for the stuff that he was made of inside, which it required more intimate knowledge to give an opinion of. Not a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-broughton/now-for-the-stuff-that-he-was-made-of-inside-which-it-required-more/) [Rhoda Broughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-broughton/) > [No bad man can be a good poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-pasternak/no-bad-man-can-be-a-good-poet/) [Boris Pasternak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-pasternak/) > [Bad man also can have good heart filled with kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bad-man-also-can-have-good-heart-filled-with-kindness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What is a good man but a bad man’s teacher? What is a bad man but a good man’s job?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-kauskas/what-is-a-good-man-but-a-bad-man-s-teacher-what-is-a-bad-man-but-a-2/) Jan Kauskas > [“A bad man is a good man's job”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-bad-man-is-a-good-man-s-job/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-good-traveler-has-no-fixed-plans-and-is-not-intent-upon-arriving-a/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [What is a good man? A teacher of a bad man. What is a bad man? A good man's charge?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/what-is-a-good-man-a-teacher-of-a-bad-man-what-is-a-bad-man-a-good/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [It is only great souls that know how much glory there is in being good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/it-is-only-great-souls-that-know-how-much-glory-there-is-in-being-good/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“What should you, O man, do, you who seek your own glory whenever you do anything good, while when you do something bad, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/what-should-you-o-man-do-you-who-seek-your-own-glory-whenever-you-do/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [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/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Bad man quotes > [I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite people to sit in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i-ve-retired-from-those-plays/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [“It is said that the hallmark of a gentleman is that he is only ever rude intentionally. Arthur Bryant was no gentleman. His rudeness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-fowler/it-is-said-that-the-hallmark-of-a-gentleman-is-that-he-is-only-ever/) [Christopher Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-fowler/) > [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. These minsters were neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-churches-are-not-built-by-bad-men-at-least-there-must-be-probity/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Why, just a couple of economic seasons ago, was idle cash considered an indication of bad management or lazy management? Because it meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/why-just-a-couple-of-economic-seasons-ago-was-idle-cash-considered-an/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Terrorism is obviously on everybody's mind. The other day my son says to me, 'Daddy, how come the bad men hate us?' How sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-giraldo/terrorism-is-obviously-on-everybody-s-mind-the-other-day-my-son-says/) [Greg Giraldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-giraldo/) > [What is a good man but a bad man's teacher? What is a bad man but a good man's job? If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/what-is-a-good-man-but-a-bad-man-s-teacher-what-is-a-bad-man-but-a/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [If I was to ask you tonight if you were saved? Do you say 'Yes, I am saved'. When? 'Oh so and so preached,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/if-i-was-to-ask-you-tonight-if-you-were-saved-do-you-say-yes-i-am/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [What is a good man? Simply one whose life is useful to the world. And a bad man is simply one whose life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-zhao/what-is-a-good-man-simply-one-whose-life-is-useful-to-the-world-and-a/) Zhang Zhao > [~I'm strict about manners. I think that kids have a horrible time with other people if they have bad manners… The one thing you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/i-m-strict-about-manners-i-think-that-kids-have-a-horrible-time-with/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [“He never looked at her; and yet, the careful avoidance of his eyes betokened that in some way he knew exactly where, if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/he-never-looked-at-her-and-yet-the-careful-avoidance-of-his-eyes/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [“As it happens, I’m a terrible dancer. Bears are simply not made for dancing. We’re much better at sitting and sleeping and singing. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-macleod/as-it-happens-i-m-a-terrible-dancer-bears-are-simply-not-made-for/) [Doug MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-macleod/) > [The Gospel of Jesus Christ can make bad men good and good men better, can alter human nature, and can change human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-can-make-bad-men-good-and-good-men-better/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [This self-congratulatory notion Americans have that their country is Number One is borne of ignorance and bad manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/this-self-congratulatory-notion-americans-have-that-their-country-is/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [You can learn a lot about good management by working under someone who is a bad manager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/you-can-learn-a-lot-about-good-management-by-working-under-someone/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) Browse all 410 Bad man quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a momentous fact that a man may be good, or he may be bad; his life may be true, or it may be false; it may be either a shame or a glory to him. 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