---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't tend to think in terms of a moral…"
description: "\"I don't tend to think in terms of a moral authority - be a good boy, do good things - more in terms of what feels right.\" — John Cusack"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c68/john-cusack-3209_authority_i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-mora_2707808.png"
---

#  I don't tend to think in terms of a moral authority - be a…

![“I don't tend to think in terms of a moral authority - be a good boy, do good things - more in terms of what feels right.” quote by John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c68/john-cusack-3209_authority_i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-mora_2707808.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c68/john-cusack-3209_authority_i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-mora_2707808.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c68/john-cusack-3209_authority_i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-mora_2707808.png)

> “I don't tend to think in terms of a moral authority - be a good boy, do good things - more in terms of what feels right.”

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker prefers acting on what feels right rather than following external moral authority, emphasizing personal intuition.

**In simple terms:** Follow your inner sense of rightness.

Key Takeaway

Trust your gut.

Themes

ethics intuition personal autonomy

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

philosophical personal

When to use this quote

- daily decisions
- creative work
- relationships

Key Concepts

moral philosophy subjective judgment

Questions to Reflect On

- When does gut feeling mislead?
- How balance you balance intuition with ethical standards?

A Different Perspective

Intuition can be biased or short‑sighted.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-authority/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [“It was more important to be honest. “We glide over the offensiveness of names and calm down our consciences by eulogistic mellifluous terms, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fagone/it-was-more-important-to-be-honest-we-glide-over-the-offensiveness-of/)

[Jason Fagone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fagone/)

> [Our success as consultants will depend upon the essential rightness of the advice we give and our capacity for convincing those in authority that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-thomas/our-success-as-consultants-will-depend-upon-the-essential-rightness/)

[Andrew Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-thomas/)

> [I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they're good talkers, but they don't have good ideas. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/i-worry-that-there-are-people-who-are-put-in-positions-of-authority-4/)

[Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/)

> [I'd be lying if I said I never had any issues with players but at some point you have to stamp your authority because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/i-d-be-lying-if-i-said-i-never-had-any-issues-with-players-but-at/)

[Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/)

> [I think having a healthy distrust of authority is a good thing, within certain parameters, obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-bruce/i-think-having-a-healthy-distrust-of-authority-is-a-good-thing-within/)

[Fiona Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-bruce/)

> [Oftentimes, churches are started by an entrepreneurial church plant visionary whom everybody follows, but he's not following anybody. Even though he's "accountable to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/oftentimes-churches-are-started-by-an-entrepreneurial-church-plant/)

[Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/)

> [“I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they’re good talkers, but they don’t have good ideas,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/i-worry-that-there-are-people-who-are-put-in-positions-of-authority-3/)

[Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/)

> [We are the only authority on what is good for us. Once we see this, we feel an enormous peace and freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/we-are-the-only-authority-on-what-is-good-for-us-once-we-see-this-we/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [“I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they’re good talkers, but they don’t have good ideas,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/i-worry-that-there-are-people-who-are-put-in-positions-of-authority-2/)

[Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/)

> [“We want character but without unyielding conviction; we want strong morality, but without the emotional burden of guilt or shame; we want virtue but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/we-want-character-but-without-unyielding-conviction-we-want-strong/)

[James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/)

> [“There is no enemy that respect and love will not conquer. The moral authority for survival comes from respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/there-is-no-enemy-that-respect-and-love-will-not-conquer-the-moral/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [ The American experiment, the United States in the past eight years \[2008-2016\] was not considered worthy of leading, because we had committed too many… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-american-experiment-the-united-states-in-the-past-eight-years/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [We can look you in the eye and talk to you about life, heart, love rock'n'roll, whatever, but we do not have the moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/we-can-look-you-in-the-eye-and-talk-to-you-about-life-heart-love-rock/)

[Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/)

> [Hillary Clinton was personally presiding over the dissolution of moral authority - particularly applied to presidents - because she looked the other way, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/hillary-clinton-was-personally-presiding-over-the-dissolution-of/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [You'll see. I'm as good as any boy. I'm better. - Kel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/you-ll-see-i-m-as-good-as-any-boy-i-m-better-kel/)

[Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/)

## More by John Cusack

> [The elderly have so much to offer. They're our link with history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/the-elderly-have-so-much-to-offer-they-re-our-link-with-history/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [You just try to get the best jobs that you can get. Sometimes I produce my own movies, so that's your own sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/you-just-try-to-get-the-best-jobs-that-you-can-get-sometimes-i/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [But, you know, I'm sorry, I think democracy requires participation. I mean, I don't want to proselytize but I do feel some sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/but-you-know-i-m-sorry-i-think-democracy-requires-participation-i/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [If you help manufacture an enemy that's really evil, you can point to the fact that it's really evil, and say, "Hey, it's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/if-you-help-manufacture-an-enemy-that-s-really-evil-you-can-point-to/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [My point was that it's hard to make good films, but I'm not under any illusion that you do all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/my-point-was-that-it-s-hard-to-make-good-films-but-i-m-not-under-any/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [I read Noam Chomsky. I like some of Gore Vidal's stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-read-noam-chomsky-i-like-some-of-gore-vidal-s-stuff/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [There's also some element of coming of age during the Reagan administration, which everybody has painted as some glorious time in America, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/there-s-also-some-element-of-coming-of-age-during-the-reagan/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [You can only really judge yourself in comparison to other people. How bad you are, but you're not as bad as someone else. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/you-can-only-really-judge-yourself-in-comparison-to-other-people-how/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [But no, I don't really like romantic comedies, so I don't really care. I never go see 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/but-no-i-don-t-really-like-romantic-comedies-so-i-don-t-really-care-i/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [I was a teen star. That's disgusting enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-was-a-teen-star-that-s-disgusting-enough/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [Well, acting itself is a form of rebellion, always. Getting up there in front of people, telling stories - you're kind of going against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/well-acting-itself-is-a-form-of-rebellion-always-getting-up-there-in/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [I think everything has some politics to it. It's just whether or not it admits to it. Politics is weird. I don't even know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-think-everything-has-some-politics-to-it-it-s-just-whether-or-not/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [I just love the process of working with other actors. It's like jamming with a musician, except it takes a little more effort to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-just-love-the-process-of-working-with-other-actors-it-s-like/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [Maybe the absence of signs is a sign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/maybe-the-absence-of-signs-is-a-sign/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [Satire is meant to have teeth; satire is meant to be dangerous. But it also happens to be fun because subversion and telling the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/satire-is-meant-to-have-teeth-satire-is-meant-to-be-dangerous-but-it/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

[Explore all 136 John Cusack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

## More Authority quotes

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/)

[Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/)

> [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/)

[Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/)

> [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/)

[Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/)

> [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/)

[Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/)

> [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/)

[Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/)

[Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/)

> [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/)

[Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/)

[Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't tend to think in terms of a moral authority - be a good boy, do good things - more in terms of what feels right.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Cusack"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-moral-authority-be-a-good-boy-do/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Authority"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-moral-authority-be-a-good-boy-do/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c68/john-cusack-3209_authority_i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-mora_2707808.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c68/john-cusack-3209_authority_i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-mora_2707808.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c68/john-cusack-3209_authority_i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-mora_2707808.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't tend to think in terms of a moral authority - be a good boy, do good things - more in terms of what…” — John Cusack",
                "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": "John Cusack",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't tend to think in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-moral-authority-be-a-good-boy-do/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-don-t-tend-to-think-in-terms-of-a-moral-authority-be-a-good-boy-do/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
