--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who is more concerned with being a…" description: "\"A man who is more concerned with being a good man than being good at being a man makes a very well-behaved slave.\" — Jack Donovan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jack-donovan-23606_be-good_a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a_2694657.png" --- # A man who is more concerned with being a good man than… ![“A man who is more concerned with being a good man than being good at being a man makes a very well-behaved slave.” quote by Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jack-donovan-23606_be-good_a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a_2694657.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jack-donovan-23606_be-good_a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a_2694657.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jack-donovan-23606_be-good_a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a_2694657.png) > “A man who is more concerned with being a good man than being good at being a man makes a very well-behaved slave.” [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritizing moral goodness over personal agency can reduce a person to a compliant, unthinking follower **In simple terms:** Being overly moral can limit personal freedom Key Takeaway Cultivate both virtue and autonomy Themes ethics identity freedom Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical social When to use this quote - leadership - personal development - political activism Key Concepts self‑actualization social conformity Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance moral integrity with self‑expression? - When does virtue become servitude? A Different Perspective Moral rigidity may suppress individuality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) ## Related quotes > [I am concerned about the whole man. I am concerned about what the people, using their government as an instrument and a tool, can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/i-am-concerned-about-the-whole-man-i-am-concerned-about-what-the/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Young men's minds are always changeable, but when an old man is concerned in a matter, he looks both before and after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/young-men-s-minds-are-always-changeable-but-when-an-old-man-is/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [When I meet a man, I am not concerned about his opinions. I am concerned about the man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/when-i-meet-a-man-i-am-not-concerned-about-his-opinions-i-am/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [One man is more concerned with the impression he makes on the rest of mankind, another with the impression the rest of mankind makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/one-man-is-more-concerned-with-the-impression-he-makes-on-the-rest-of/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [God is never impressed with what a man can do. He is more concerned with what a man is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-is-never-impressed-with-what-a-man-can-do-he-is-more-concerned/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [The common man is not concerned about the passage of time, the man of talent is driven by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-common-man-is-not-concerned-about-the-passage-of-time-the-man-of/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“He was a man more concerned with the truth than his arrest quota, a philosophy that would often have him skate on thin ice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/he-was-a-man-more-concerned-with-the-truth-than-his-arrest-quota-a/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [And one more thing: you still believe that man can be good. If that weren't the case, you wouldn't have invented all this nonsense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/and-one-more-thing-you-still-believe-that-man-can-be-good-if-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There is a difference between being a good man and being good at being a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/there-is-a-difference-between-being-a-good-man-and-being-good-at/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [It is too simple to say 'man is basically good' or 'man is basically evil'. The correct way would be to say 'man can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-maslow/it-is-too-simple-to-say-man-is-basically-good-or-man-is-basically/) [Abraham Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-maslow/) > [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/) > [Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/good-works-do-not-make-a-good-man-but-a-good-man-does-good-works/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [The corruption of the good by the belief in their own infallible goodnes is the most bloody dangerous pitfall in the human spectrum. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/the-corruption-of-the-good-by-the-belief-in-their-own-infallible/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [“The former slave told his audience that “there is little necessity on this occasion to speak at length and critically of this great and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/the-former-slave-told-his-audience-that-there-is-little-necessity-on/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) ## More by Jack Donovan > [“The natural gods of men are other men, mythic or real, who embody manhood in men's eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/the-natural-gods-of-men-are-other-men-mythic-or-real-who-embody/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [As things get worse and the State seems powerless to help, the State will seem less and less legitimate. People will lose their moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/as-things-get-worse-and-the-state-seems-powerless-to-help-the-state/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [It must be scary to stand up for beliefs also held by Eric Holder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/it-must-be-scary-to-stand-up-for-beliefs-also-held-by-eric-holder/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Violence is the gold standard, the reserve that guarantees order. In actuality, it is better than a gold standard, because violence has universal value.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/violence-is-the-gold-standard-the-reserve-that-guarantees-order-in/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Strength, Courage, Mastery, and Honor are the alpha virtues of men all over the world. They are the fundamental virtues of men because without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/strength-courage-mastery-and-honor-are-the-alpha-virtues-of-men-all/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [“Men cannot be men—much less good or heroic men—unless their actions have meaningful consequences to people they truly care about. Strength requires an opposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/men-cannot-be-men-much-less-good-or-heroic-men-unless-their-actions/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [“Until you can function as a competent member of the group and carry your own weight, you are a supplicant and a drag on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/until-you-can-function-as-a-competent-member-of-the-group-and-carry/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Men of ideas and men of action have much to learn from each other, and the truly great are men of both action and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/men-of-ideas-and-men-of-action-have-much-to-learn-from-each-other-and/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Sometimes men pick fights just for something to do-just to feel something like the threat of harm and the possibility of triumph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/sometimes-men-pick-fights-just-for-something-to-do-just-to-feel/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [When men evaluate each other as men, they still look for the same virtues that they'd need to keep the perimeter. Men respond to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/when-men-evaluate-each-other-as-men-they-still-look-for-the-same/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Without action, words are just words. Without violence, laws are just words. Violence isn’t the only answer, but it is the final answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/without-action-words-are-just-words-without-violence-laws-are-just/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Gay is a subculture, a slur, a set of gestures, a slang, a look, a posture, a parade, a rainbow flag, a film genre,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/gay-is-a-subculture-a-slur-a-set-of-gestures-a-slang-a-look-a-posture/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [White guilt is more of a sanctioned social convention than a genuine emotional experience. It’s a form of theatrical empathy that’s socially and financially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/white-guilt-is-more-of-a-sanctioned-social-convention-than-a-genuine/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Civilization comes at a cost of manliness. It comes at a cost of wildness, of risk, of strife. It comes at a cost of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/civilization-comes-at-a-cost-of-manliness-it-comes-at-a-cost-of/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Violence isn't the only answer, but it is the final answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/violence-isn-t-the-only-answer-but-it-is-the-final-answer/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) [Explore all 25 Jack Donovan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) ## 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 > [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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man who is more concerned with being a good man than being good at being a man makes a very well-behaved slave.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Donovan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a-good-man-than-being-good-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a-good-man-than-being-good-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jack-donovan-23606_be-good_a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a_2694657.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jack-donovan-23606_be-good_a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a_2694657.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jack-donovan-23606_be-good_a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a_2694657.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man who is more concerned with being a good man than being good at being a man makes a very well-behaved…” — Jack Donovan", "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": "Jack Donovan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man who is more concerned...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a-good-man-than-being-good-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/a-man-who-is-more-concerned-with-being-a-good-man-than-being-good-at/#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 } } ] } ```