--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Colonel Cathcart was impervious to…" description: "\"“Colonel Cathcart was impervious to absolutes. He could measure his own progress only in relationship to others, and his idea of excellence was to do s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/joseph-heller-601_absolutes_colonel-cathcart-was-impervious-to-absol_1483566.jpg" --- # Colonel Cathcart was impervious to absolutes. He could… ![“Colonel Cathcart was impervious to absolutes. He could measure his own progress only in relationship to others, and his idea of excellence was to do something at least as well as all the men his own age who were doing the same thing even better.” quote by Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/joseph-heller-601_absolutes_colonel-cathcart-was-impervious-to-absol_1483566.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/joseph-heller-601_absolutes_colonel-cathcart-was-impervious-to-absol_1483566.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/joseph-heller-601_absolutes_colonel-cathcart-was-impervious-to-absol_1483566.jpg) > ““Colonel Cathcart was impervious to absolutes. He could measure his own progress only in relationship to others, and his idea of excellence was to do something at least as well as all the men his own age who were doing the same thing even better.”” [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellence is measured by comparison, leading to endless rivalry and a loss of personal standards. **In simple terms:** Comparing yourself to others defines success Key Takeaway Avoid comparison traps. Themes competition self-worth excellence Mood critical motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - sports - academic achievement - personal growth Key Concepts relative standards social comparison Questions to Reflect On - What personal standards guide you? - How can you define success without others? A Different Perspective Comparison can distort true progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Cathcart Impervious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cathcart-impervious-5412307/) [Colonel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonel/) [Colonel Cathcart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonel-cathcart-1745264/) [Doing The Same Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-the-same-thing/) [Impervious Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impervious-absolutes-5412308/) ## Related quotes > [“Look, I might keep interested in this if you stop shouting it all over the island and if you stick to killing Colonel Cathcart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/look-i-might-keep-interested-in-this-if-you-stop-shouting-it-all-over/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Yossarian - the very sight of the name made Colonel Cathcart shudder. There were so many esses in it. It just had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/yossarian-the-very-sight-of-the-name-made-colonel-cathcart-shudder/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Colonel Cathcart is our commanding officer and we must obey him. Why don't you fly four more missions and see what happens?" "I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/colonel-cathcart-is-our-commanding-officer-and-we-must-obey-him-why/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“The chaplain glanced at the bridge table that served as his desk and saw only the abominable orange-red, pear-shaped, plum tomato he had obtained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/the-chaplain-glanced-at-the-bridge-table-that-served-as-his-desk-and/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [The enemy," retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, "is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on, and that includes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/the-enemy-retorted-yossarian-with-weighted-precision-is-anybody-who-s-2/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Like all the other officers at Group Headquarters except Major Danby, Colonel Cathcart was infused with the democratic spirit: he believed that all men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/like-all-the-other-officers-at-group-headquarters-except-major-danby/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“You're the new squadron commander,' Colonel Cathcart had shouted rudely across the railroad ditch to him. 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They hurled lights in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/the-colonel-dwelt-in-a-vortex-of-specialists-who-were-still/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Colonel, I do not care to die, but I pray to God I may never leave this field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfield-scott-hancock/colonel-i-do-not-care-to-die-but-i-pray-to-god-i-may-never-leave-this/) [Winfield Scott Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfield-scott-hancock/) > [The greatest story of all is Colonel Sanders. He didn't start until he was sixty-six on a freeway bypass for his chicken shop. Anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-greatest-story-of-all-is-colonel-sanders-he-didn-t-start-until-he/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [“Martha Raye slipped up to the colonel and she said, 'Sir, where do we eat?' He said, 'You mess with the men.' 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I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [Does it say 'Colonel' anywhere on my uniform?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-neill/does-it-say-colonel-anywhere-on-my-uniform/) [Jack O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-neill/) ## More by Joseph Heller > [“Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. "That's some catch, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/yossarian-was-moved-very-deeply-by-the-absolute-simplicity-of-this/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [From men motivated by moral certitude, history teaches, no lasting good ever comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/from-men-motivated-by-moral-certitude-history-teaches-no-lasting-good/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [I’m cold,' Snowden said softly, 'I’m cold.' 'You’re going to be all right, kid,' Yossarian reassured him with a grin. 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And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate." "Consciously, sir, consciously,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/you-have-deep-seated-survival-anxieties-and-you-don-t-like-bigots/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“His specialty was alfalfa, and he made a good thing out of not growing any. The government paid him well for every bushel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/his-specialty-was-alfalfa-and-he-made-a-good-thing-out-of-not-growing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Every writer I know has trouble writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/every-writer-i-know-has-trouble-writing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“No such private nights of ecstasy or hushed-up drinking and sex orgies ever occurred. They might have occurred if either General Dreedle or General…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/no-such-private-nights-of-ecstasy-or-hushed-up-drinking-and-sex/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) [Explore all 420 Joseph Heller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. 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I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. 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