--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men have a singular desire to be good…" description: "\"Men have a singular desire to be good without being good for anything, because, perchance, they think vaguely that so it will be good for them in the e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/henry-david-thoreau-20_be-good_men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-wi_2375675.jpg" --- # Men have a singular desire to be good without being good… ![“Men have a singular desire to be good without being good for anything, because, perchance, they think vaguely that so it will be good for them in the end.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/henry-david-thoreau-20_be-good_men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-wi_2375675.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/henry-david-thoreau-20_be-good_men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-wi_2375675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/henry-david-thoreau-20_be-good_men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-wi_2375675.jpg) > “Men have a singular desire to be good without being good for anything, because, perchance, they think vaguely that so it will be good for them in the end.” [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. People often pursue goodness superficially, hoping it will benefit them without effort. **In simple terms:** Goodness requires action, not just desire. Key Takeaway Act to be good. Themes ethics motivation self‑deception Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - community service - ethical decision making - self‑improvement Key Concepts philosophy human nature Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take to embody goodness? - How does intention differ from impact? A Different Perspective May ignore structural barriers to goodness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-good-313577/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Singular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-singular-5865963/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Singular Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singular-desire-5865964/) [Think Vaguely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-vaguely-5865962/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vaguely Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vaguely-good-2841615/) ## Related quotes > [Acting is the only thing I'm even vaguely good at and acting is something that I think I do know about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/acting-is-the-only-thing-i-m-even-vaguely-good-at-and-acting-is/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [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/) > [Can one desire too much of a good thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/can-one-desire-too-much-of-a-good-thing/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [We need not regard what good a friend has done us, but only his desire to do us good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/we-need-not-regard-what-good-a-friend-has-done-us-but-only-his-desire/) [Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/) > [The two great movers of the human mind are the desire of good and the fear of evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-two-great-movers-of-the-human-mind-are-the-desire-of-good-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And yet, because I am without a doubt mortal, I have the troubling desire to do good, to please, to communicate my warmth, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachilde/and-yet-because-i-am-without-a-doubt-mortal-i-have-the-troubling/) [Rachilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachilde/) > [If you real desire is to be good, there is no need to wait for the money before you do it; you can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/if-you-real-desire-is-to-be-good-there-is-no-need-to-wait-for-the/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [If your desire is for good, the people will be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-your-desire-is-for-good-the-people-will-be-good/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The desire to be good to all with no restrictions - not in the quantity of those to whom we are good nor in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-isaac-kook/the-desire-to-be-good-to-all-with-no-restrictions-not-in-the-quantity/) [Abraham Isaac Kook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-isaac-kook/) > [If you desire to be good, begin by believing that you are wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-you-desire-to-be-good-begin-by-believing-that-you-are-wicked/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“I have noted that those who desire to do the most good often work the greatest harm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/i-have-noted-that-those-who-desire-to-do-the-most-good-often-work-the/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [I desire the good-will of all, whether hitherto my friends or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/i-desire-the-good-will-of-all-whether-hitherto-my-friends-or-not/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [“What do you really want? Did you know that every single one of your desires is an expression of your soul's longing to experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-nordby/what-do-you-really-want-did-you-know-that-every-single-one-of-your/) [Jacob Nordby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-nordby/) > [“yet if you had a desire for good or beautiful things and your tongue were not concocting some evil to say shame would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sappho/yet-if-you-had-a-desire-for-good-or-beautiful-things-and-your-tongue/) [Sappho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sappho/) > [The natural desire of good men is knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-natural-desire-of-good-men-is-knowledge/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) ## 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 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Men have a singular desire to be good without being good for anything, because, perchance, they think vaguely that so it will be good for them in the end.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-without-being-good-for-anything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-without-being-good-for-anything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/henry-david-thoreau-20_be-good_men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-wi_2375675.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/henry-david-thoreau-20_be-good_men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-wi_2375675.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/henry-david-thoreau-20_be-good_men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-wi_2375675.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Men have a singular desire to be good without being good for anything, because, perchance, they think…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Men have a singular desire to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-without-being-good-for-anything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-have-a-singular-desire-to-be-good-without-being-good-for-anything/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```