--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Scruples were for imbeciles. His clear…" description: "\"“Scruples were for imbeciles. His clear duty was to make himself happy.”\" — Jose Conrad" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/320/jose-conrad-48343_quote_scruples-were-for-imbeciles-his-clear-du_1787822.jpg" --- # Scruples were for imbeciles. His clear duty was to make… ![“Scruples were for imbeciles. His clear duty was to make himself happy.” quote by Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/320/jose-conrad-48343_quote_scruples-were-for-imbeciles-his-clear-du_1787822.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/320/jose-conrad-48343_quote_scruples-were-for-imbeciles-his-clear-du_1787822.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/320/jose-conrad-48343_quote_scruples-were-for-imbeciles-his-clear-du_1787822.jpg) > ““Scruples were for imbeciles. His clear duty was to make himself happy.”” [Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He dismisses moral constraints, urging personal happiness as the sole duty. **In simple terms:** Prioritize personal happiness over moral scruples. Key Takeaway Seek personal joy above all. Themes individualism ethics happiness Mood thoughtful provocative Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - career decisions - personal relationships - ethical dilemmas - life choices Key Concepts existentialism self‑interest Questions to Reflect On - Is personal happiness always paramount? - When should moral duties override self‑interest? A Different Perspective Neglecting ethics can harm others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Scruples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scruples/) ## Related quotes > [To be clear is the first duty of a writer; to charm and to please are graces to be acquired later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brander-matthews/to-be-clear-is-the-first-duty-of-a-writer-to-charm-and-to-please-are/) [Brander Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brander-matthews/) > [“I’ve no patience with modern humanitarian scruples about capital punishment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-ve-no-patience-with-modern-humanitarian-scruples-about-capital/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [The conduct of a man, who studies philosophy in this careless manner, is more truly sceptical than that of any one, who feeling inhimself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-conduct-of-a-man-who-studies-philosophy-in-this-careless-manner/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Some People are not to be persuaded to taste of any Creatures they have daily seen and been acquainted with, while they were alive;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-de-mandeville/some-people-are-not-to-be-persuaded-to-taste-of-any-creatures-they/) [Bernard de Mandeville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-de-mandeville/) > [I love you is unsubtle. It removes explanations, facilities, degrees, scruples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/i-love-you-is-unsubtle-it-removes-explanations-facilities-degrees/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [In my judgment it is the duty of Congress, while respecting to the uttermost the conscientious convictions and religious scruples of every citizen, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-my-judgment-it-is-the-duty-of-congress-while-respecting-to-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Most men only commit great crimes because of their scruples about petty ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/most-men-only-commit-great-crimes-because-of-their-scruples-about/) [Jean Francois Paul de Gondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/) > [“You know what your problem is? You got too many scruples. One or two is okay, but you get too many of them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-know-what-your-problem-is-you-got-too-many-scruples-one-or-two-is/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [We live in a world where people don't all have the same scruples, where all blows can be given, and where, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-sarkozy/we-live-in-a-world-where-people-don-t-all-have-the-same-scruples/) [Nicolas Sarkozy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-sarkozy/) > [The vehemence of my moral indignation surprised me. Was I beginning to have standards and principles, and, oh dear, scruples? What were they, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-dundy/the-vehemence-of-my-moral-indignation-surprised-me-was-i-beginning-to/) [Elaine Dundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-dundy/) > [Some, merely to contradict what I had said, did not scruple to cast doubt upon things they had seen with their own eyes again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/some-merely-to-contradict-what-i-had-said-did-not-scruple-to-cast/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [As for the excellent little wretches who grow up in what they are taught, with never a scruple or a query, ... they signify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/as-for-the-excellent-little-wretches-who-grow-up-in-what-they-are/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [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/) > [It may be asserted without scruple, that no otherclass of dependants have had their character so entirely distorted from its natural proportions by their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/it-may-be-asserted-without-scruple-that-no-otherclass-of-dependants/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [He would be guilty of mortal sin, because he exposes himself to the danger of grievously offending God. Hence, before he acts he must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-liguori/he-would-be-guilty-of-mortal-sin-because-he-exposes-himself-to-the/) [Alphonsus Liguori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-liguori/) ## More by Jose Conrad > [“He felt soothed and happy, as if some gentle and invisible hand had removed from his soul the burden of his body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-conrad/he-felt-soothed-and-happy-as-if-some-gentle-and-invisible-hand-had/) [Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) > [“It is written that the earth belongs to those who have fair skins and hard but foolish hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-conrad/it-is-written-that-the-earth-belongs-to-those-who-have-fair-skins-and/) [Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) > [“you whites are so great that you disdain to remember your enemies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-conrad/you-whites-are-so-great-that-you-disdain-to-remember-your-enemies/) [Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) > [“he hated the white men who interfered with the manly pursuits of throat-cutting, kidnapping, slave-dealing, and fire-raising,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-conrad/he-hated-the-white-men-who-interfered-with-the-manly-pursuits-of/) [Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) > [“The sea, perhaps because of its saltness, roughens the outside but keeps sweet the kernel of its servants' soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-conrad/the-sea-perhaps-because-of-its-saltness-roughens-the-outside-but/) [Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) > [“he affected great piety (as became a pilgrim), although unable to read the inspired words of the Prophet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-conrad/he-affected-great-piety-as-became-a-pilgrim-although-unable-to-read/) [Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) > [“They walk the road of life, the road fenced in by their tastes, prejudices, disdains or enthusiasms, generally honest, invariably stupid, and are proud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-conrad/they-walk-the-road-of-life-the-road-fenced-in-by-their-tastes/) [Jose Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) [Explore all 8 Jose Conrad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-conrad/) ## More Imbeciles quotes > [The mother of the imbecile is always pregnant,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincenzo-nibali/the-mother-of-the-imbecile-is-always-pregnant/) Vincenzo Nibali > [As soon as I find myself in the presence of a rich man, I cannot help looking upon him as an exceptional and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/as-soon-as-i-find-myself-in-the-presence-of-a-rich-man-i-cannot-help/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [A skeptic as to all ideas, including especially my own, I have never suffered a pang when the ideas of some other imbecile prevailed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-skeptic-as-to-all-ideas-including-especially-my-own-i-have-never/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [When I see gurgling retarded children (that's God's doing, by the way, not mine) happily styling their hair with their own stinking mards, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/when-i-see-gurgling-retarded-children-that-s-god-s-doing-by-the-way/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [Only a f-kin imbecile would think they un-correctable, cause you're susceptible to becoming more than a spectacle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/only-a-f-kin-imbecile-would-think-they-un-correctable-cause-you-re/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [Three generations of imbeciles are enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/three-generations-of-imbeciles-are-enough/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Life without sex might be safer but it would be unbearably dull. It is the sex instinct which makes women seem beautiful, which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/life-without-sex-might-be-safer-but-it-would-be-unbearably-dull-it-is/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Jazz: Music invented for the torture of imbeciles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/jazz-music-invented-for-the-torture-of-imbeciles/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [What do you think an artist is? An imbecile who has only his eyes if he's a painter, or ears if he's a musician,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/what-do-you-think-an-artist-is-an-imbecile-who-has-only-his-eyes-if/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [One of the most obvious results of having a baby around the house is to turn two good people into complete idiots who probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/one-of-the-most-obvious-results-of-having-a-baby-around-the-house-is/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [What I want is to open up. I want to know what's inside me. I want everybody to open up. I'm like an imbecile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/what-i-want-is-to-open-up-i-want-to-know-what-s-inside-me-i-want/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [The word 'ivory' rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-word-ivory-rang-in-the-air-was-whispered-was-sighed-you-would/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [You mean to say that when an imbecile walks into a church, office, day care center, or school, stumbling about, almost zombie-like, with gun-filled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/you-mean-to-say-that-when-an-imbecile-walks-into-a-church-office-day/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [...the program of scientific experimentation that leads you to conclude that animals are imbeciles is profoundly anthropocentric. It values being able to find your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-program-of-scientific-experimentation-that-leads-you-to-conclude/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [“Rogues are preferable to imbeciles because sometimes they take a rest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/rogues-are-preferable-to-imbeciles-because-sometimes-they-take-a-rest/) [alexandre dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) Browse all 117 Imbeciles quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Scruples were for imbeciles. 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