--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a hard thing for a man to be…" description: "\"It is a hard thing for a man to be righteous, if the unrighteous man is to have the greater right.\" — Hesiod" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/hesiod-2889_class_it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-right_2887043.jpg" --- # It is a hard thing for a man to be righteous, if the… ![“It is a hard thing for a man to be righteous, if the unrighteous man is to have the greater right.” quote by Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/hesiod-2889_class_it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-right_2887043.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/hesiod-2889_class_it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-right_2887043.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/hesiod-2889_class_it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-right_2887043.jpg) > “It is a hard thing for a man to be righteous, if the unrighteous man is to have the greater right.” [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Righteousness is hard when the immoral seem to gain more advantage. **In simple terms:** Being good is tough when bad people win. Key Takeaway Focus on personal integrity despite others' success. Themes ethics justice integrity Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal decisions - leadership - community building Key Concepts Moral philosophy social comparison Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain virtue when unfairness prevails? - What defines true success? A Different Perspective Righteousness can be socially costly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Hard things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-things/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous/) ## Related quotes > [Our rights to live and to love each other, those rights are greater than any other right in the Constitution, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-swalwell/our-rights-to-live-and-to-love-each-other-those-rights-are-greater/) [Eric Swalwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-swalwell/) > [How ever sugarcoated and ambiguous, every form of authoritarianism must start with a belief in some group's greater right to power, whether that right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/how-ever-sugarcoated-and-ambiguous-every-form-of-authoritarianism/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Baby can you dig your man? He is a righteous man!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/baby-can-you-dig-your-man-he-is-a-righteous-man/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Ezekiel 25:17. 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And those who heed the call are also blessed. But worthless who call not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/the-best-is-he-who-calls-men-to-the-best-and-those-who-heed-the-call/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [If you speak evil, you will soon be worse spoken of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/if-you-speak-evil-you-will-soon-be-worse-spoken-of/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Inhibition is no good provider for a needy man, Inhibition, which does men great harm and great good. Inhibition attaches to poverty, boldness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/inhibition-is-no-good-provider-for-a-needy-man-inhibition-which-does/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of craftsman; and the poor have a grudge against the poor, and the poet against the poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/potter-is-jealous-of-potter-and-craftsman-of-craftsman-and-the-poor/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/preserve-the-mean-the-opportune-moment-is-best-in-all-things/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [The potter is at enmity with the potter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/the-potter-is-at-enmity-with-the-potter/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [But he who neither thinks for himself nor learns from others, is a failure as a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/but-he-who-neither-thinks-for-himself-nor-learns-from-others-is-a/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Justice prevails over transgression when she comes to the end of the race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/justice-prevails-over-transgression-when-she-comes-to-the-end-of-the/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [“It is best to work, at whatever you have a talent for doing, without turning your greedy thought toward what some other man possesses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/it-is-best-to-work-at-whatever-you-have-a-talent-for-doing-without/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/i-see-no-hope-for-the-future-of-our-people-if-they-are-dependent-on/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/do-not-let-a-flattering-woman-coax-and-wheedle-you-and-deceive-you/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [In the race for wealth, a neighbor tries to outdo his neighbor, but this strife is good for men. For the potter envies potter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/in-the-race-for-wealth-a-neighbor-tries-to-outdo-his-neighbor-but/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [The Gods rank work above virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/the-gods-rank-work-above-virtues/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) [Explore all 146 Hesiod quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) ## More Class quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [I grew up in the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. 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When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) > [We are not going back to the failed policies of the past. We are fighting for the middle class!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/we-are-not-going-back-to-the-failed-policies-of-the-past-we-are/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) [Browse all 7,637 Class quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a hard thing for a man to be righteous, if the unrighteous man is to have the greater right.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hesiod" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-righteous-if-the-unrighteous-man/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Class" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-righteous-if-the-unrighteous-man/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/hesiod-2889_class_it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-right_2887043.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/hesiod-2889_class_it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-right_2887043.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/hesiod-2889_class_it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-right_2887043.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a hard thing for a man to be righteous, if the unrighteous man is to have the greater right.” — Hesiod", "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": "Hesiod", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is a hard thing for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-righteous-if-the-unrighteous-man/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/it-is-a-hard-thing-for-a-man-to-be-righteous-if-the-unrighteous-man/#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 } } ] } ```