--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the simple moral maxim the Marine…" description: "\"“In the simple moral maxim the Marine Corps teaches — do the right thing, for the right reason — no exception exists that says: unless there's criticis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/josh-rushing-250578_character_in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-cor_106340.jpg" --- # In the simple moral maxim the Marine Corps teaches — do… ![“In the simple moral maxim the Marine Corps teaches — do the right thing, for the right reason — no exception exists that says: unless there's criticism or risk. Damn the consequences.” quote by Josh Rushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/josh-rushing-250578_character_in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-cor_106340.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/josh-rushing-250578_character_in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-cor_106340.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/josh-rushing-250578_character_in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-cor_106340.jpg) > ““In the simple moral maxim the Marine Corps teaches — do the right thing, for the right reason — no exception exists that says: unless there's criticism or risk. Damn the consequences.”” Josh Rushing ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes unwavering moral standards, even amid criticism or risk, reflecting disciplined ethical conduct **In simple terms:** Do the right thing for the right reason, regardless of consequences Key Takeaway Uphold moral integrity despite external pressures Themes ethics integrity military values discipline responsibility Mood serious principled Type character:1 ethics:1 marine corps:1 marines:1 maxim:1 right and wrong:1 right thing:1 usmc:1 marine corp:1 right reason:1 moral maxim:1 simple moral:1 damn consequences:1 When to use this quote - leadership training - combat situations - policy making - public speaking - media interviews Key Concepts Moral absolutism military ethics courage under fire Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance moral duty with personal safety? - When is flexibility in ethics justified? A Different Perspective May be unrealistic in complex ethical dilemmas ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Marine corps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marine-corps/) [Marines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marines/) [Maxim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maxim/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Usmc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usmc/) ## Related quotes > [“Loving, of enemies is another dogma of feigned morality, and has besides no meaning. It is incumbent on man, as a moralist, that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/loving-of-enemies-is-another-dogma-of-feigned-morality-and-has/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Self-righteousness is the inevitable fruit of simple moral judgments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/self-righteousness-is-the-inevitable-fruit-of-simple-moral-judgments/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Is there another way? Of course there is. There is a way based on simple moral principles: Everyone keeps his own money. Everyone decides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/is-there-another-way-of-course-there-is-there-is-a-way-based-on/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [“If we put away all the etymological jargon and destroy all self-created images and technical descriptions, then it is as simple as this -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-we-put-away-all-the-etymological-jargon-and-destroy-all-self/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Love didn't ask permission. It wasn't sensible or logical. It did as it wished, and damn the consequences”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inara-scott/love-didn-t-ask-permission-it-wasn-t-sensible-or-logical-it-did-as-it/) [Inara Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inara-scott/) > [Sometimes you've got to do what you think is right, and damn the consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-morgana/sometimes-you-ve-got-to-do-what-you-think-is-right-and-damn-the/) Lady Morgana > [Do your duty as you see it, and damn the consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-your-duty-as-you-see-it-and-damn-the-consequences/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we believe a thing to be bad, and if we have a right to prevent it, it is our duty to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-milner/if-we-believe-a-thing-to-be-bad-and-if-we-have-a-right-to-prevent-it/) Lord Milner > [“I know no way of discounting the doctrine that when you take something you want, and damn the consequences, then you had better be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-know-no-way-of-discounting-the-doctrine-that-when-you-take/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [You know it's love when you want to give joy and damn the consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/you-know-it-s-love-when-you-want-to-give-joy-and-damn-the-consequences/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“Screw the rules, damn the consequences, and just love. Love until it kills you, because there's nothing better worth dying for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-amanda-hooper/screw-the-rules-damn-the-consequences-and-just-love-love-until-it/) [Karen Amanda Hooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-amanda-hooper/) > [Sometimes people do the wrong things for the right reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obita-denis/sometimes-people-do-the-wrong-things-for-the-right-reason/) [Obita Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obita-denis/) > [I do things - whether it's donations or events for good causes or giving back to my community - for the right reason: because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesean-mccoy/i-do-things-whether-it-s-donations-or-events-for-good-causes-or/) [LeSean McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesean-mccoy/) > [I think we do have to take off the gloves in some areas, but within balance, and at the right time and the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/i-think-we-do-have-to-take-off-the-gloves-in-some-areas-but-within/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [“When so many hours have been spent convincing myself I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/when-so-many-hours-have-been-spent-convincing-myself-i-am-right-is/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In the simple moral maxim the Marine Corps teaches — do the right thing, for the right reason — no exception exists that says: unless there's criticism or risk. Damn the consequences.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josh Rushing" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-rushing/in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-corps-teaches-do-the-right-thing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-rushing/in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-corps-teaches-do-the-right-thing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/josh-rushing-250578_character_in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-cor_106340.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/josh-rushing-250578_character_in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-cor_106340.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/josh-rushing-250578_character_in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-cor_106340.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the simple moral maxim the Marine Corps teaches — do the right thing, for the right reason — no exception…” — Josh Rushing", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Josh Rushing", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-rushing/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In the simple moral maxim the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-rushing/in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-corps-teaches-do-the-right-thing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-rushing/in-the-simple-moral-maxim-the-marine-corps-teaches-do-the-right-thing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```