--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our problem is not to find better values…" description: "\"Our problem is not to find better values but to be faithful to those we profess.\" — John W. Gardner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/john-w-gardner-7687_faithful_our-problem-is-not-to-find-better-values_2526104.jpg" --- # Our problem is not to find better values but to be… ![“Our problem is not to find better values but to be faithful to those we profess.” quote by John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/john-w-gardner-7687_faithful_our-problem-is-not-to-find-better-values_2526104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/john-w-gardner-7687_faithful_our-problem-is-not-to-find-better-values_2526104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a7/john-w-gardner-7687_faithful_our-problem-is-not-to-find-better-values_2526104.jpg) > “Our problem is not to find better values but to be faithful to those we profess.” [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The aim is not to improve numbers but to stay true to the principles we claim to uphold. **In simple terms:** Stay true to professed values rather than chase better metrics. Key Takeaway Align actions with stated principles. Themes ethics leadership integrity Mood reflective determined Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - policy making - organizational culture - personal decision making Key Concepts values alignment public trust Questions to Reflect On - What core values guide your decisions? - How do you measure fidelity to those values? A Different Perspective Values can be vague, making faithful adherence difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-values-1258904/) [Faithful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faithful/) [Faithful Profess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faithful-profess-1299176/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Values Faithful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values-faithful-1299175/) ## Related quotes > [“Ultimately, it isn't your knowledge that makes the choice: it is your values and your will to be faithful to your values.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/ultimately-it-isn-t-your-knowledge-that-makes-the-choice-it-is-your/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [There is nothing in your budget for joy. No books, no flowers, no music, not even a cold beer. And there is nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/there-is-nothing-in-your-budget-for-joy-no-books-no-flowers-no-music/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [“Shitty values involve tangible external goals outside of our control. Better values are process-oriented.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/shitty-values-involve-tangible-external-goals-outside-of-our-control/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [Seventh Generation’s work with Carol Sanford made me a better values-based leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-hollender/seventh-generation-s-work-with-carol-sanford-made-me-a-better-values/) [Jeffrey Hollender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-hollender/) > [The problem men seem to have, and women, too, is that they have this very structured idea that we should find a partner and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-kendal/the-problem-men-seem-to-have-and-women-too-is-that-they-have-this/) [Felicity Kendal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-kendal/) > [Our ideas of happiness, gratification, contentment, satisfaction, all demand that those feelings come from within us. If you flip that on its head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/our-ideas-of-happiness-gratification-contentment-satisfaction-all/) [Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/) > [If you know that most processing is below the level of awareness, you learn the value of sleep. You're brain is working on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-you-know-that-most-processing-is-below-the-level-of-awareness-you/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [ With recidivism algorithms, for example, I worry about racist outcomes. With personality tests \[for hiring\], I worry about filtering out people with mental health… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/with-recidivism-algorithms-for-example-i-worry-about-racist-outcomes/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Who can really be faithful in great things if he has not learned to be faithful in the things of daily life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/who-can-really-be-faithful-in-great-things-if-he-has-not-learned-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [“The characteristics of this kind of reading are perhaps summed up in the word “orthodox,” which is almost always applicable. The word comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-j-adler/the-characteristics-of-this-kind-of-reading-are-perhaps-summed-up-in/) [Mortimer J. Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) > [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Being faithful shouldn't be challenging, cheating should. Too bad its the other way around though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-faithful-shouldn-t-be-challenging-cheating-should-too-bad-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Females always say, you can't turn a hoe into a house wife, but steady be trying to turn a dog into a faithful man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/females-always-say-you-can-t-turn-a-hoe-into-a-house-wife-but-steady/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) ## More by John W. Gardner > [“We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/we-are-continually-faced-with-a-series-of-great-opportunities/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [One man interacting creatively with others can move the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/one-man-interacting-creatively-with-others-can-move-the-world/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [To sensible men, every day is a day of reckoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/to-sensible-men-every-day-is-a-day-of-reckoning/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/all-excellence-involves-discipline-and-tenacity-of-purpose/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Tax reduction has an almost irresistible appeal to the politician, and it is no doubt also gratifying to the citizen. It means more dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/tax-reduction-has-an-almost-irresistible-appeal-to-the-politician-and/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [We get richer and richer in filthier and filthier communities until we reach a final state of affluent misery - crocus on a garbage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/we-get-richer-and-richer-in-filthier-and-filthier-communities-until/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [At home we have lost the capacity to see what is before us. Travel shakes us out of our apathy, and we regain an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/at-home-we-have-lost-the-capacity-to-see-what-is-before-us-travel/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Few have excellence thrust upon them ... They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/some-people-have-greatness-thrust-upon-them-few-have-excellence/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Leaders come in many forms, with many styles and diverse qualities. There are quiet leaders and leaders one can hear in the next county.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/leaders-come-in-many-forms-with-many-styles-and-diverse-qualities/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursuing his education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/the-ultimate-goal-of-the-educational-system-is-to-shift-to-the/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [The first and last task of aleader is to keep hope alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/the-first-and-last-task-of-aleader-is-to-keep-hope-alive/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/an-excellent-plumber-is-infinitely-more-admirable-than-an-incompetent/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure-all your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/there-is-no-learning-without-some-difficulty-and-fumbling-if-you-want/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [All of us celebrate our values in our behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/all-of-us-celebrate-our-values-in-our-behavior/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Some people seem to believe that for each problem there is a solution readily available - a solution that can be promptly achieved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/some-people-seem-to-believe-that-for-each-problem-there-is-a-solution/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) [Explore all 88 John W. Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) ## More Faithful quotes > [Females always say, you can't turn a hoe into a house wife, but steady be trying to turn a dog into a faithful man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/females-always-say-you-can-t-turn-a-hoe-into-a-house-wife-but-steady/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [Being faithful shouldn't be challenging, cheating should. Too bad its the other way around though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-faithful-shouldn-t-be-challenging-cheating-should-too-bad-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“The characteristics of this kind of reading are perhaps summed up in the word “orthodox,” which is almost always applicable. The word comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-j-adler/the-characteristics-of-this-kind-of-reading-are-perhaps-summed-up-in/) [Mortimer J. Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Who can really be faithful in great things if he has not learned to be faithful in the things of daily life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/who-can-really-be-faithful-in-great-things-if-he-has-not-learned-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [If you can't tame your man sexually you don't have a chance of ever having a FAITHFUL MAN, it's not right but it's truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-can-t-tame-your-man-sexually-you-don-t-have-a-chance-of-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“True humility is fearless honesty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/true-humility-is-fearless-honesty/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Even the most fickle are faithful to a few bad habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-fickle-are-faithful-to-a-few-bad-habits/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [One of the achievements of the reform movement is that people realize that they can be democrats and remain faithful Muslims. Democracy is now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdolkarim-soroush/one-of-the-achievements-of-the-reform-movement-is-that-people-realize/) [Abdolkarim Soroush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdolkarim-soroush/) > [I'm practicing a kind of meandering faith, or faithful meandering. I just trust that something is coming. I don't know what it is. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jones/i-m-practicing-a-kind-of-meandering-faith-or-faithful-meandering-i/) [Sarah Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jones/) > [All great expression, which on a superficial survey seems so easy as well as so simple, furnishes after a while, to the faithful observer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-fuller/all-great-expression-which-on-a-superficial-survey-seems-so-easy-as/) [Margaret Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-fuller/) > [If you are spiritual and faithful about your situation, you'll make it through it. And my life is a testimony to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-d-o-c/if-you-are-spiritual-and-faithful-about-your-situation-you-ll-make-it/) [The D.O.C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-d-o-c/) > [“Courage is being who you are. Courage is sacred of thyself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/courage-is-being-who-you-are-courage-is-sacred-of-thyself/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Once you let them establish their ideology in you, they will drive you crazy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/once-you-let-them-establish-their-ideology-in-you-they-will-drive-you/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) [Browse all 1,733 Faithful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faithful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our problem is not to find better values but to be faithful to those we profess.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John W. 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