--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No man of honor, as the word is usually…" description: "\"No man of honor, as the word is usually understood, did ever pretend that his honor obliged him to be chaste or temperate, to pay his creditors, to be ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jonathan-swift-433_being-wise_no-man-of-honor-as-the-word-is-usually-u_2854359.jpg" --- # No man of honor, as the word is usually understood, did… ![“No man of honor, as the word is usually understood, did ever pretend that his honor obliged him to be chaste or temperate, to pay his creditors, to be useful to his country, to do good to mankind, to endeavor to be wise or learned, to regard his word, his promise, or his oath.” quote by Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jonathan-swift-433_being-wise_no-man-of-honor-as-the-word-is-usually-u_2854359.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jonathan-swift-433_being-wise_no-man-of-honor-as-the-word-is-usually-u_2854359.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/jonathan-swift-433_being-wise_no-man-of-honor-as-the-word-is-usually-u_2854359.jpg) > “No man of honor, as the word is usually understood, did ever pretend that his honor obliged him to be chaste or temperate, to pay his creditors, to be useful to his country, to do good to mankind, to endeavor to be wise or learned, to regard his word, his promise, or his oath.” [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Honor is often claimed without the corresponding moral duties; people claim virtue while neglecting responsibility. **In simple terms:** People claim honor but ignore duties. Key Takeaway Align honor with responsibility. Themes honor responsibility hypocrisy ethics Mood critical reflective Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - political leadership - personal reputation - legal obligations - family expectations Key Concepts moral philosophy social critique Questions to Reflect On - What duties does your honor truly entail? - How can society hold honor‑claimers accountable? A Different Perspective Honor without action is empty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) [Chaste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaste/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Creditors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creditors/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Honor Obliged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor-obliged-3816456/) [Honor Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor-word-1454686/) [Man Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-honor/) [Man Of Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-of-honor/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Oath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oath/) [Obliged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obliged/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pretend Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretend-honor-3816455/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Regard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regard/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [It is the duty of a man of honor to teach others the good which he has not been able to do himself because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/it-is-the-duty-of-a-man-of-honor-to-teach-others-the-good-which-he/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [The most tragic thing in the world is a man of genius who is not a man of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-most-tragic-thing-in-the-world-is-a-man-of-genius-who-is-not-a/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Zeal for the public good is the characteristic of a man of honor and a gentleman, and must take the place of pleasures, profits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/zeal-for-the-public-good-is-the-characteristic-of-a-man-of-honor-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/the-gentleman-does-not-needlessly-and-unnecessarily-remind-an/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“A man of honor does swiftly that which must be done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-kearney/a-man-of-honor-does-swiftly-that-which-must-be-done/) [Susan Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-kearney/) > [“No man of honor avoided what needed to be done, simply because it might not proceed in his favor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-delacroix/no-man-of-honor-avoided-what-needed-to-be-done-simply-because-it/) [Claire Delacroix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-delacroix/) > [I want people to be sincere; a man of honor shouldn't speak a single word that doesn't come straight from his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-want-people-to-be-sincere-a-man-of-honor-shouldn-t-speak-a-single/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“Morality and honor are not to be confused. 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Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I don't think that (U.S. President) George Bush...is a man of honor,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/i-don-t-think-that-u-s-president-george-bush-is-a-man-of-honor/) [Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/) ## More by Jonathan Swift > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“He said, he knew no reason why those who entertain opinions prejudicial to the public should be obliged to change, or should not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/he-said-he-knew-no-reason-why-those-who-entertain-opinions/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [I with borrow'd silver shine, What you see is none of mine. 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Then, lest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-forward-critic-often-dupes-us-with-sham-quotations-peri-hupsos-and/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [May you live every day of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/may-you-live-every-day-of-your-life/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Ale is meat, drink and cloth; it will make a cat speak and a wise man dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/ale-is-meat-drink-and-cloth-it-will-make-a-cat-speak-and-a-wise-man/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [All fits of pleasure are balanced by an equal degree of pain or languor; it is like spending this year part of the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/all-fits-of-pleasure-are-balanced-by-an-equal-degree-of-pain-or/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Satire is a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own; which is the chief reason for that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/satire-is-a-sort-of-glass-wherein-beholders-do-generally-discover/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“When a great genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign; that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/when-a-great-genius-appears-in-the-world-you-may-know-him-by-this/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities, and all my love is toward individuals: for instance, I hate the tribe of lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-have-ever-hated-all-nations-professions-and-communities-and-all-my/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [So endless and exorbitant are the desires of men that they will grasp at all, and can form no scheme of perfect happiness with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/so-endless-and-exorbitant-are-the-desires-of-men-that-they-will-grasp/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) [Explore all 535 Jonathan Swift quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) ## More Being wise quotes > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [To be smart, spend carefully. To be wise, save regularly. To be genius, give extravagantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-ingram/to-be-smart-spend-carefully-to-be-wise-save-regularly-to-be-genius/) [Chip Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-ingram/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [To be wise was to be above joy and sorrow, fear and pity, ambition and humiliation. 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