--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Strength and success - they are above…" description: "\"Strength and success - they are above morality, above criticism. It seems, then, that it is not what you do, but how you do it and what you call it. Is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/john-steinbeck-71_caught_strength-and-success-they-are-above-mora_149363.jpg" --- # Strength and success - they are above morality, above… ![“Strength and success - they are above morality, above criticism. It seems, then, that it is not what you do, but how you do it and what you call it. Is there a check in men, deep in them, that stops or punishes? There doesn't seem to be. The only punishment is for failure. In effect no crime is…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/john-steinbeck-71_caught_strength-and-success-they-are-above-mora_149363.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/john-steinbeck-71_caught_strength-and-success-they-are-above-mora_149363.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/john-steinbeck-71_caught_strength-and-success-they-are-above-mora_149363.jpg) > “Strength and success - they are above morality, above criticism. It seems, then, that it is not what you do, but how you do it and what you call it. Is there a check in men, deep in them, that stops or punishes? There doesn't seem to be. The only punishment is for failure. In effect no crime is committed unless a criminal is caught.” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success and morality are separate; accountability is internal, yet punishment often only follows failure. **In simple terms:** Success isn’t moral; internal checks matter. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner ethics. Themes ethics success morality accountability punishment Mood serious introspective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - business decisions - personal goals - leadership Key Concepts integrity consequence self‑regulation Questions to Reflect On - How do you self‑monitor actions? - What defines your moral compass? A Different Perspective External checks may be weak. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“To most of the world success is never bad. I remember how, when Hitler moved unchecked and triumphant, many honorable men sought and found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/to-most-of-the-world-success-is-never-bad-i-remember-how-when-hitler/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Strength and success; they are above morality, above criticism. It seems then, that it is not what you do, but how you do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/strength-and-success-they-are-above-morality-above-criticism-it-seems-2/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“shouldn't the punishment for failure be the awful knowledge of that failure?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/shouldn-t-the-punishment-for-failure-be-the-awful-knowledge-of-that/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [If you have made a mistake unknownly. Although, you doesn't get the punishment. 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