--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No one will seek the highest [things] if…" description: "\"“No one will seek the highest [things] if he believes that there is no truth, that nothing is his fault, and that government will guarantee his wants.”..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-v-schall-41294_believes_no-one-will-seek-the-highest-things-if-h_3215566.png" --- # No one will seek the highest \[things\] if he believes that… ![“No one will seek the highest [things] if he believes that there is no truth, that nothing is his fault, and that government will guarantee his wants.” quote by James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-v-schall-41294_believes_no-one-will-seek-the-highest-things-if-h_3215566.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-v-schall-41294_believes_no-one-will-seek-the-highest-things-if-h_3215566.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/james-v-schall-41294_believes_no-one-will-seek-the-highest-things-if-h_3215566.png) > ““No one will seek the highest \[things\] if he believes that there is no truth, that nothing is his fault, and that government will guarantee his wants.”” [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Belief in truth and personal responsibility is essential for seeking higher ideals; otherwise people rely on government to fulfill desires. **In simple terms:** Truth and responsibility motivate ambition. Key Takeaway Cultivate personal accountability. Themes politics ethics motivation Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public service - education reform - community activism Key Concepts existentialism civic duty Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do you accept for your aspirations? - How does belief in truth shape societal progress? A Different Perspective If truth is dismissed, people may become apathetic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes/) [Believes Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes-truth-410184/) [Government Guarantee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-guarantee-633915/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Seek Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seek-highest-3663086/) [Things Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-believes-299297/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/love-bears-all-things-believes-all-things-hopes-all-things-endures/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [He who knows all things and believes nothing is damned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sargent-shriver/he-who-knows-all-things-and-believes-nothing-is-damned/) [Sargent Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sargent-shriver/) > [“He is someone who believes he can break things, or he believes that anything can hurt him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eula-biss/he-is-someone-who-believes-he-can-break-things-or-he-believes-that/) [Eula Biss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eula-biss/) > [It's hard to come across genuine people now a days and no one believes in the truth anymore either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-come-across-genuine-people-now-a-days-and-no-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie is a lie even if everyone believes it. The truth is the truth even if nobody believes it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lie-is-a-lie-even-if-everyone-believes-it-the-truth-is-the-truth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Bible's truth does not depend in any way on whether or not a person believes the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-bible-s-truth-does-not-depend-in-any-way-on-whether-or-not-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I seek is the highest possible batting average.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/what-i-seek-is-the-highest-possible-batting-average/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The artist's interest cannot be restricted to a single field; he must seek the highest perception of everything, of the whole and its details.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asger-jorn/the-artist-s-interest-cannot-be-restricted-to-a-single-field-he-must/) [Asger Jorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asger-jorn/) > [To seek the highest good is to live well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/to-seek-the-highest-good-is-to-live-well/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [I always seek the highest challenge, the biggest challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artem-lobov/i-always-seek-the-highest-challenge-the-biggest-challenge/) [Artem Lobov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artem-lobov/) > [Government cannot guarantee much, but it can and should guarantee freedom of opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sununu/government-cannot-guarantee-much-but-it-can-and-should-guarantee/) [Chris Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sununu/) > [Love is a strange fact - it hopes all things, believes all things, endures all things. It makes no sense at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/love-is-a-strange-fact-it-hopes-all-things-believes-all-things/) [Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/) > [Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-bible-1-corinthians/love-bears-all-things-believes-all-things-hopes-all-things-endures-3/) [The Bible : 1 Corinthians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-bible-1-corinthians/) > [“Love is a strange fact-it hopes all things, believes all things, endures all things. It makes no since at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/love-is-a-strange-fact-it-hopes-all-things-believes-all-things-2/) [Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/) > [“It beats all the things that wealth can give and everything else in the world to say the things one believes, to put them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/it-beats-all-the-things-that-wealth-can-give-and-everything-else-in/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) ## More by James V. Schall > [The cruelest form of death, I have no doubt, is not physical death. Rather it is that public death which comes from the killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/the-cruelest-form-of-death-i-have-no-doubt-is-not-physical-death/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) > [“There is an intimate connection between our moral life and our intellectual life. Sometimes I think the history of our times can be described…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/there-is-an-intimate-connection-between-our-moral-life-and-our/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) > [“Why read? Because we are given more than we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/why-read-because-we-are-given-more-than-we-are/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) > [“At first sight, it seems that something, almost anything, must be done about our situation. But it is the genius of Pieper to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/at-first-sight-it-seems-that-something-almost-anything-must-be-done/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) > [“No serious book lover will ever die having read every book he has managed to collect. This is not a sign of dilatoriness but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/no-serious-book-lover-will-ever-die-having-read-every-book-he-has/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) > [“Self-discipline is the beginning of wisdom, not its end. When we have discovered the purpose for which self-discipline exists, we will, if we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/self-discipline-is-the-beginning-of-wisdom-not-its-end-when-we-have/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) > [“Hell is a consequence of one’s own free choice. It would not exist if free choice did not exist or, better, if free choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/hell-is-a-consequence-of-one-s-own-free-choice-it-would-not-exist-if/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) > [I often think . . . that the bookstores that will save civilization are not online, nor on campuses, nor named Borders, Barnes &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/i-often-think-that-the-bookstores-that-will-save-civilization-are-not/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) > [“In a sense, we can tell a lot about anyone by looking at what books, if any, he reads, at what books are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-schall/in-a-sense-we-can-tell-a-lot-about-anyone-by-looking-at-what-books-if/) [James V. Schall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) [Explore all 10 James V. Schall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-v-schall/) ## More Believes quotes > [A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-erhard/a-compromise-is-the-art-of-dividing-a-cake-in-such-a-way-that/) [Ludwig Erhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-erhard/) > [Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/only-he-who-believes-is-obedient-and-only-he-who-is-obedient-believes/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [If she gives you her heart she believes you are all she needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-jush/if-she-gives-you-her-heart-she-believes-you-are-all-she-needs/) [El Jush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-jush/) > [“He is a missionary and believes in God, intensely I mean, but it takes all kinds to make a world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/he-is-a-missionary-and-believes-in-god-intensely-i-mean-but-it-takes/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [I see myself as a man who is searching for meaning in life. This is rather different from being a staunch believer in something.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aharon-appelfeld/i-see-myself-as-a-man-who-is-searching-for-meaning-in-life-this-is/) [Aharon Appelfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aharon-appelfeld/) > [I don't think she doesn't believe she can die. I think, just like you always did, she believes there are things worth dying for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-don-t-think-she-doesn-t-believe-she-can-die-i-think-just-like-you/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [A frnd iz d one who believes in u even at that time when u believe in urself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-frnd-iz-d-one-who-believes-in-u-even-at-that-time-when-u-believe-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/when-you-design-a-building-you-start-from-a-general-philosophy-and/) [Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/) > [I believe in myself like a five-year-old believes in himself. They say look at me, look at me! Then they do a flip in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-believe-in-myself-like-a-five-year-old-believes-in-himself-they-say/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [“By night an atheist half believes in God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/by-night-an-atheist-half-believes-in-god/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [President Clinton not only benefits by gay and lesbian votes, but he benefits by showing the nation that he is a strong leader who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mixner/president-clinton-not-only-benefits-by-gay-and-lesbian-votes-but-he/) [David Mixner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mixner/) > [Cynicism, I contend, is the wailing of someone who believes that things are, or should be, or could be, much, much better than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/cynicism-i-contend-is-the-wailing-of-someone-who-believes-that-things/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [“Everyone believes very easily whatever he fears or desires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/everyone-believes-very-easily-whatever-he-fears-or-desires/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [“The God I believe in believes in me and won’t silence my heart or others based on a paycheck at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-alder/the-god-i-believe-in-believes-in-me-and-won-t-silence-my-heart-or/) [Shannon Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-alder/) > [It's hard to come across genuine people now a days and no one believes in the truth anymore either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-come-across-genuine-people-now-a-days-and-no-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 736 Believes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No one will seek the highest [things] if he believes that there is no truth, that nothing is his fault, and that government will guarantee his wants.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James V. 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