--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It does not matter what the whip is; it…" description: "\"It does not matter what the whip is; it is none the less a whip, because you have cut thongs for it out of your own souls.\" — John Ruskin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-ruskin-314_cutting_it-does-not-matter-what-the-whip-is-it-i_674046.jpg" --- # It does not matter what the whip is; it is none the less a… ![“It does not matter what the whip is; it is none the less a whip, because you have cut thongs for it out of your own souls.” quote by John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-ruskin-314_cutting_it-does-not-matter-what-the-whip-is-it-i_674046.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-ruskin-314_cutting_it-does-not-matter-what-the-whip-is-it-i_674046.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-ruskin-314_cutting_it-does-not-matter-what-the-whip-is-it-i_674046.jpg) > “It does not matter what the whip is; it is none the less a whip, because you have cut thongs for it out of your own souls.” [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizes that tools reflect the moral character of their makers, even if the tool itself seems neutral. **In simple terms:** Tools show the maker’s soul. Key Takeaway Examine your motives behind actions. Themes ethics responsibility intent morality Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership - decision making - personal development - conflict resolution - creative work Key Concepts philosophy human nature instrumentality Questions to Reflect On - How do your personal values shape the tools you create? - Can a tool be truly neutral? A Different Perspective Even a neutral tool can be corrupted by selfish intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Submission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/submission/) [Thongs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thongs/) ## Related quotes > [The enemy is here, and if we do not whip him, he will whip us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/the-enemy-is-here-and-if-we-do-not-whip-him-he-will-whip-us/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended for self-flagellation solely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-god-hands-you-a-gift-he-also-hands-you-a-whip-and-the-whip-is/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [From ghetto to ghetto, to backyard to yard, I sell it whip on whip, it's off the hard. I'm the...neighborhood pusha, Call me subwoofer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pusha-t-clipse/from-ghetto-to-ghetto-to-backyard-to-yard-i-sell-it-whip-on-whip-it-s/) [Pusha T (Clipse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pusha-t-clipse/) > [Men who wear thongs have to be absolutely confident and have no qualms in flaunting their body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-bedi/men-who-wear-thongs-have-to-be-absolutely-confident-and-have-no/) [Pooja Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-bedi/) > [I have a thing about underwear. I have to wear thongs. Since I was a showgirl in Las Vegas, and I was wearing G-strings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-peterson/i-have-a-thing-about-underwear-i-have-to-wear-thongs-since-i-was-a/) [Cassandra Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-peterson/) > [When I die, if the word 'thong' appears in the first or second sentence of my obituary, I've screwed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/when-i-die-if-the-word-thong-appears-in-the-first-or-second-sentence/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [Yo your girl just moved to the joint in the club, in the car if it groove. Broad look, the movement is on. Mild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-tip/yo-your-girl-just-moved-to-the-joint-in-the-club-in-the-car-if-it/) [Q-tip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-tip/) > [That’s how you tell what a man’s really made of. It’s one thing for a man to be big and brave and kill a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/that-s-how-you-tell-what-a-man-s-really-made-of-it-s-one-thing-for-a/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [No-pocket jeans are only slightly less irritating than thong underwear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/no-pocket-jeans-are-only-slightly-less-irritating-than-thong-underwear/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [I was supposed to be a real Thatcherite. Just by dint of being a first-generation immigrant and having not had money, and then suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-was-supposed-to-be-a-real-thatcherite-just-by-dint-of-being-a-first/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [Sometimes a thong completely betrays you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/sometimes-a-thong-completely-betrays-you/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [It feels like I could go outside with a bikini thong on right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-feels-like-i-could-go-outside-with-a-bikini-thong-on-right-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thongs are the leading cause of pregnancy in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-marbles/thongs-are-the-leading-cause-of-pregnancy-in-the-united-states/) [Jenna Marbles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-marbles/) > [My favorite party trick is to wear nothing but a gold thong in the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-styles/my-favorite-party-trick-is-to-wear-nothing-but-a-gold-thong-in-the/) [Harry Styles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-styles/) > [Everyone's showing their thong out the back of their jeans. But you shouldn't wear any. You get a better line if you wear no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-beckham/everyone-s-showing-their-thong-out-the-back-of-their-jeans-but-you/) [Victoria Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-beckham/) ## More by John Ruskin > [“Occult Theft,--Theft which hides itself even from itself, and is legal, respectable, and cowardly,--corrupts the body and soul of man, to the last fibre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/occult-theft-theft-which-hides-itself-even-from-itself-and-is-legal/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Mighty of heart, mighty of mind, magnanimous-to be this is indeed to be great in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/mighty-of-heart-mighty-of-mind-magnanimous-to-be-this-is-indeed-to-be/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Life is a magic vase filled to the brim, so made that you cannot dip from it nor draw from it; but it overflows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/life-is-a-magic-vase-filled-to-the-brim-so-made-that-you-cannot-dip/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/i-am-far-more-provoked-at-being-thought-foolish-by-foolish-people/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [When we build ... let it not be for present delights nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/when-we-build-let-it-not-be-for-present-delights-nor-for-present-use/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is far more difficult to be simple than to be complicated; far more difficult to sacrifice skill and easy execution in the proper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-far-more-difficult-to-be-simple-than-to-be-complicated-far-more/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is a good and safe rule to sojourn in every place as if you meant to spend your life there, never omitting an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-a-good-and-safe-rule-to-sojourn-in-every-place-as-if-you-meant/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“You may trust to the truth of my sympathy; but you must remember that I am engaged in the investigation of enormous religious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/you-may-trust-to-the-truth-of-my-sympathy-but-you-must-remember-that/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [And remember, child, that nothing is ever done beautifully, which is done in rivalship; or nobly, which is done in pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/and-remember-child-that-nothing-is-ever-done-beautifully-which-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-s-unwise-to-pay-too-much-but-it-s-worse-to-pay-too-little/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The world is full of vulgar Purists, who bring discredit on all selection by the silliness of their choice; and this the more, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-world-is-full-of-vulgar-purists-who-bring-discredit-on-all/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Like other beautiful things in this world, its end (that of a shaft) is to be beautiful; and, in proportion to its beauty, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/like-other-beautiful-things-in-this-world-its-end-that-of-a-shaft-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [All are to be men of genius in their degree,--rivulets or rivers, it does not matter, so that the souls be clear and pure;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/all-are-to-be-men-of-genius-in-their-degree-rivulets-or-rivers-it/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The art of drawing which is of more real importance to the human race than that of writing...should be taught to every child just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-art-of-drawing-which-is-of-more-real-importance-to-the-human-race/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) [Explore all 696 John Ruskin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## More Cutting quotes > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. 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It's celebrity meets pornography meets politics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/i-didn-t-understand-southland-tales-script-at-all-is-there-a-single/) [Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-nineteenth-century-lynching-mob-cuts-off-ears-toes-and-fingers/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. 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