--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [I]n principle and in practice, in a…" description: "\"[I]n principle and in practice, in a right track and in a wrong one, the rarest of all human qualities is consistency.\" — Jeremy Bentham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/jeremy-bentham-7785_consistency_i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right_1199124.jpg" --- # \[I\]n principle and in practice, in a right track and in a… ![“[I]n principle and in practice, in a right track and in a wrong one, the rarest of all human qualities is consistency.” quote by Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/jeremy-bentham-7785_consistency_i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right_1199124.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/jeremy-bentham-7785_consistency_i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right_1199124.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/jeremy-bentham-7785_consistency_i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right_1199124.jpg) > “\[I\]n principle and in practice, in a right track and in a wrong one, the rarest of all human qualities is consistency.” [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Consistency is the rarest human virtue, hard to maintain in both theory and practice. **In simple terms:** Being consistent is uncommon but valuable. Key Takeaway Strive for consistency in actions and beliefs. Themes ethics virtue consistency human nature Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - daily routine planning - long‑term projects - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts integrity habit formation moral psychology Questions to Reflect On - Can you identify areas where you falter? - What supports help you stay consistent? A Different Perspective People often compromise consistency under pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consistency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistency/) [Human qualities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-qualities/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Principle Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle-practice-843843/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Qualities Consistency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualities-consistency-3588984/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Right track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-track/) [Track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track/) ## Related quotes > [...the rarest of all human qualities is consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/the-rarest-of-all-human-qualities-is-consistency/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [One of the most important rules for me is: Don't ever defend myself. 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Slowly but surely we are rising from the ashes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurent-lamothe/dear-friends-of-haiti-we-are-indeed-on-the-right-track-slowly-but/) [Laurent Lamothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurent-lamothe/) > [I'm beautiful in my way 'cause God makes no mistakes. 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Antipathy, therefore,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/for-the-same-sentiment-of-antipathy-if-implicitly-deferred-to-may-be/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [If Christianity needed an Anti-Christ, they needed look no farther than Paul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/if-christianity-needed-an-anti-christ-they-needed-look-no-farther/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [Without publicity, no good is permanent; under the auspices of publicity, no evil can continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/without-publicity-no-good-is-permanent-under-the-auspices-of/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [All punishment is mischief; all punishment in itself is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/all-punishment-is-mischief-all-punishment-in-itself-is-evil/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) [Explore all 87 Jeremy Bentham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) ## More Consistency quotes > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [I give you everything you want as an artist, for so long. Consistency. Wordplay. Wittiness. You can check the checklist. Only thing I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/i-give-you-everything-you-want-as-an-artist-for-so-long-consistency/) [Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/) > [I have always wanted to learn the piano, but because I travel so much, I can never get any consistency of lessons. So everywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/i-have-always-wanted-to-learn-the-piano-but-because-i-travel-so-much/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [There's always, I guess, a philosophy that if you come in, you want to change all the parts, you want to change everything over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-gillick/there-s-always-i-guess-a-philosophy-that-if-you-come-in-you-want-to/) [Pat Gillick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-gillick/) > [But change must always be balanced with some degree of consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-d-burton/but-change-must-always-be-balanced-with-some-degree-of-consistency/) [Ron D. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-d-burton/) > [“Strong trust is built brick by brick, through honesty, consistency, and showing up even when it’s hard to keep the promise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayoub-imilouane/strong-trust-is-built-brick-by-brick-through-honesty-consistency-and/) [Ayoub Imilouane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayoub-imilouane/) > [I like the consistency of a TV show, but I like it for three months out of my year, not nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-mack/i-like-the-consistency-of-a-tv-show-but-i-like-it-for-three-months/) [Allison Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-mack/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“So, whenever you find yourself putting forth great effort without success, you're trying to force something that won't fit under the circumstances. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-vigorito/so-whenever-you-find-yourself-putting-forth-great-effort-without/) [Tony Vigorito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-vigorito/) > [To me, style is consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/to-me-style-is-consistency/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [About 120 million of us place the big bang 2,500 years after the Babylonians and Sumerians learned to brew beer. If our polls are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/about-120-million-of-us-place-the-big-bang-2-500-years-after-the/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [I've learned over the years that when it comes to success, consistency is key. Consistent hard work that we may not like doing today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/i-ve-learned-over-the-years-that-when-it-comes-to-success-consistency/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Consistency of performance is essential. You don't have to be exceptional every week but as a minimum you need to be at a level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-dyche/consistency-of-performance-is-essential-you-don-t-have-to-be/) [Sean Dyche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-dyche/) [Browse all 866 Consistency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistency/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[I]n principle and in practice, in a right track and in a wrong one, the rarest of all human qualities is consistency.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeremy Bentham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right-track-and-in-a-wrong-one-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consistency" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right-track-and-in-a-wrong-one-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/jeremy-bentham-7785_consistency_i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right_1199124.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/jeremy-bentham-7785_consistency_i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right_1199124.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bd/jeremy-bentham-7785_consistency_i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right_1199124.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[I]n principle and in practice, in a right track and in a wrong one, the rarest of all human qualities is…” — Jeremy Bentham", "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": "Jeremy Bentham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "[I]n principle and in practice, in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right-track-and-in-a-wrong-one-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/i-n-principle-and-in-practice-in-a-right-track-and-in-a-wrong-one-the/#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 } } ] } ```