--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cheats, liars and criminals may resist…" description: "\"Cheats, liars and criminals may resist every blandishment while respectable gentlemen have been moved to appalling treasons by watery cabbage in a depa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/john-le-carre-651_cabbage_cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-ev_2430167.jpg" --- # Cheats, liars and criminals may resist every blandishment… ![“Cheats, liars and criminals may resist every blandishment while respectable gentlemen have been moved to appalling treasons by watery cabbage in a departmental canteen.” quote by John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/john-le-carre-651_cabbage_cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-ev_2430167.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/john-le-carre-651_cabbage_cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-ev_2430167.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/john-le-carre-651_cabbage_cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-ev_2430167.jpg) > “Cheats, liars and criminals may resist every blandishment while respectable gentlemen have been moved to appalling treasons by watery cabbage in a departmental canteen.” [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The line blurs between respectable people committing terrible acts and criminals resisting minor temptations, highlighting moral ambiguity. **In simple terms:** Good people can do bad things; bad people can resist. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about morality and power. Themes morality power hypocrisy politics ethics Mood cynical thought‑provoking critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - government work - corporate settings - personal relationships Key Concepts moral relativism institutional corruption human nature Questions to Reflect On - How do you define “respectable”? - What drives people to betray their values? A Different Perspective The statement uses exaggerated metaphor that may obscure clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appalling Treasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalling-treasons-271506/) [Cabbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cabbage/) [Canteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canteen/) [Cheat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheat/) [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Departmental Canteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/departmental-canteen-271508/) [Gentleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentleman/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Liars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liars/) [Loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Resist Blandishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resist-blandishment-271509/) [Respectable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respectable/) [Treasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasons-271507/) [Treasons Watery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasons-watery-271505/) ## Related quotes > [When an artist deserts to the side of the angels, it is the most odious of treasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/when-an-artist-deserts-to-the-side-of-the-angels-it-is-the-most/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakespeare/the-man-that-hath-no-music-in-himself-nor-is-not-moved-with-concord-2/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakespeare/) > [Tyranny is for the worst of treasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/tyranny-is-for-the-worst-of-treasons/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-man-that-hath-no-music-in-himself-nor-is-not-moved-with-concord/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Tyranny Is far the worst of treasons. Dost thou deem None rebels except subjects? The prince who Neglects or violates his trust is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/tyranny-is-far-the-worst-of-treasons-dost-thou-deem-none-rebels/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [One's worst enormities remain within, and it is only one's vulgar commonplaces of error and folly that turn into murders and suicides, treasons, infidelities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/one-s-worst-enormities-remain-within-and-it-is-only-one-s-vulgar/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [In school, I used to love eating pav bhaji and kulchey choley from our canteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varun-sharma/in-school-i-used-to-love-eating-pav-bhaji-and-kulchey-choley-from-our/) [Varun Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varun-sharma/) > [Rebus was eating breakfast in the canteen and wishing there was more caffeine in the coffee, or more coffee in the coffee come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/rebus-was-eating-breakfast-in-the-canteen-and-wishing-there-was-more/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [You can play guitar in your canteen, you know, your hair might be longer, but there's a lot more to playing than travelling around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-barrett/you-can-play-guitar-in-your-canteen-you-know-your-hair-might-be/) [Syd Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-barrett/) > [The Canteen Boy, the reason you feel bad for him and you can laugh is because he, and I guess a lot of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sandler/the-canteen-boy-the-reason-you-feel-bad-for-him-and-you-can-laugh-is/) [Adam Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sandler/) > [I was just like that anyhow - wherever I used to work, jobs-wise, I'd always be in the canteen talking to people and laughing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-mcguinness/i-was-just-like-that-anyhow-wherever-i-used-to-work-jobs-wise-i-d/) [Paddy McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-mcguinness/) > [“fact she’d just put on a bit of weight. Stella had been absolutely incensed and ended up making the woman stand up in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-boxall/fact-she-d-just-put-on-a-bit-of-weight-stella-had-been-absolutely/) [Rebecca Boxall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-boxall/) > [Here's to the drunken Marine With beer in his canteen! You've heard of the Unknown Soldier But, never an unknown Marine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ripley/here-s-to-the-drunken-marine-with-beer-in-his-canteen-you-ve-heard-of/) [John Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ripley/) > [Most of the boys would come with bits of equipment that their fathers had given them from their war days - helmets, canteens, binoculars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/most-of-the-boys-would-come-with-bits-of-equipment-that-their-fathers/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [A canteen I remember vividly, and maybe one other thing, I can't remember. And I knew then that he had bought them in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/a-canteen-i-remember-vividly-and-maybe-one-other-thing-i-can-t/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) ## More by John le Carre > [The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [All power corrupts but some must govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/all-power-corrupts-but-some-must-govern/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“You're history, Donohue. You think countries run the fucking world! Go back to fucking Sunday school. It's 'God save our multinational' they're singing these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/you-re-history-donohue-you-think-countries-run-the-fucking-world-go/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [When you're my age and you see a story, you better go for it pretty quickly. I'd just like to get a few more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/when-you-re-my-age-and-you-see-a-story-you-better-go-for-it-pretty/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The trouble is, when professional spies go out of their way to make a definitive statement about one of their own, the public tends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-trouble-is-when-professional-spies-go-out-of-their-way-to-make-a/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Ideologies have no heart of their own. They're the whores and angels of our striving selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/ideologies-have-no-heart-of-their-own-they-re-the-whores-and-angels/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Home's where you go when you run out of homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/home-s-where-you-go-when-you-run-out-of-homes/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Pain observed is journalistic pain. It's diplomatic pain. It's television pain, over as soon as you switch off your beastly set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/pain-observed-is-journalistic-pain-it-s-diplomatic-pain-it-s/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . Real heroism lies, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-comes-from-the-renunciation-of/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“and the wood smoke will roll out of the fireplace on to the carpet we paid too much for on that rainy afternoon in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/and-the-wood-smoke-will-roll-out-of-the-fireplace-on-to-the-carpet-we/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Middle children weep longer than their brothers and sisters. Over her mother’s shoulder, stilling her pains and her injured pride, Jackie Lacon watched the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/middle-children-weep-longer-than-their-brothers-and-sisters-over-her/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [For decades to come the spy world will continue to be the collective couch where the subconscious of each nation is confessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/for-decades-to-come-the-spy-world-will-continue-to-be-the-collective/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [I happen to write by hand. I don't even type. John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/i-happen-to-write-by-hand-i-don-t-even-type-john-le-carre/) [John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-more-identities-a-man-has-the-more-they-express-the-person-they/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) [Explore all 409 John le Carre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## More Cabbage quotes > [Slugs crawl and crawl over our cabbages, like the world's slander over a good name. You may kill them, it is true; but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/slugs-crawl-and-crawl-over-our-cabbages-like-the-world-s-slander-over/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [In the first place, lawyers better remember they are human beings, and a human being who hasn't his periods of doubts and distresses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/in-the-first-place-lawyers-better-remember-they-are-human-beings-and/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [He who has plenty of pepper will pepper his cabbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/he-who-has-plenty-of-pepper-will-pepper-his-cabbage/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [He tapped my chest. 'Happy is here.' He tapped his own chest. 'Here.' I looked down past my chin. 'Inside?' 'Inside.' It was getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/he-tapped-my-chest-happy-is-here-he-tapped-his-own-chest-here-i/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [I'll show you how the cows eat cabbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ll-show-you-how-the-cows-eat-cabbage/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I don't like him." Looking from Kale to Alex, Ginger said, "I don't like cabbage. Do you see me taking on the produce section…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jus-accardo/i-don-t-like-him-looking-from-kale-to-alex-ginger-said-i-don-t-like/) [Jus Accardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jus-accardo/) > [I want death to find me planting my cabbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/i-want-death-to-find-me-planting-my-cabbage/) [Michel De Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The cabbage surpasses all other vegetables. If, at a banquet, you wish to dine a lot and enjoy your dinner, then eat as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cato-the-younger/the-cabbage-surpasses-all-other-vegetables-if-at-a-banquet-you-wish/) [Cato the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cato-the-younger/) > [I was put off by people at school - my cabbage wasn't as good as other people's, you know, so that put me off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mcgough/i-was-put-off-by-people-at-school-my-cabbage-wasn-t-as-good-as-other/) [Roger McGough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mcgough/) > [I like to get where the cabbage is cooking and catch the scents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-smith/i-like-to-get-where-the-cabbage-is-cooking-and-catch-the-scents/) [Red Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-smith/) > [Some like carrots, others like cabbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/some-like-carrots-others-like-cabbage/) [Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/proverb/) > [And still I look for the men who will dare to be roses of England wild roses of England men who are wild roses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/and-still-i-look-for-the-men-who-will-dare-to-be-roses-of-england/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [It is clear that men accept an immediate pain rather than an immediate pleasure, but only because they expect a greater pleasure in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/it-is-clear-that-men-accept-an-immediate-pain-rather-than-an/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The wildest dreams of wild men, even, are not the less true, though they may not recommend themselves to the sense which is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-wildest-dreams-of-wild-men-even-are-not-the-less-true-though-they/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [He is useless on top of the ground; he ought to be under it, inspiring the cabbages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/he-is-useless-on-top-of-the-ground-he-ought-to-be-under-it-inspiring/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) [Browse all 128 Cabbage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cabbage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cheats, liars and criminals may resist every blandishment while respectable gentlemen have been moved to appalling treasons by watery cabbage in a departmental canteen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John le Carre" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-every-blandishment-while/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cabbage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-every-blandishment-while/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/john-le-carre-651_cabbage_cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-ev_2430167.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/john-le-carre-651_cabbage_cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-ev_2430167.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/john-le-carre-651_cabbage_cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-ev_2430167.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Cheats, liars and criminals may resist every blandishment while respectable gentlemen have been moved to…” — John le Carre", "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 le Carre", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Cheats, liars and criminals may resist...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-every-blandishment-while/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/cheats-liars-and-criminals-may-resist-every-blandishment-while/#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 } } ] } ```