--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Too often, complaint is not about…" description: "\"Too often, complaint is not about principled objection on moral grounds, but opportunistic objection on grounds of self-interest. To rectify this, we n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/303/julian-baggini-3081_art_too-often-complaint-is-not-about-princip_2991129.png" --- # Too often, complaint is not about principled objection on… ![“Too often, complaint is not about principled objection on moral grounds, but opportunistic objection on grounds of self-interest. To rectify this, we need to work on mastering the art of complaint.” quote by Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/303/julian-baggini-3081_art_too-often-complaint-is-not-about-princip_2991129.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/303/julian-baggini-3081_art_too-often-complaint-is-not-about-princip_2991129.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/303/julian-baggini-3081_art_too-often-complaint-is-not-about-princip_2991129.png) > “Too often, complaint is not about principled objection on moral grounds, but opportunistic objection on grounds of self-interest. To rectify this, we need to work on mastering the art of complaint.” [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complaints often stem from self‑interest rather than moral principle. **In simple terms:** Many grievances are selfish. Key Takeaway Learn to distinguish genuine concerns from selfish ones. Themes complaint self‑interest principle Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - customer service - political debate Key Concepts ethics communication Questions to Reflect On - When is a complaint truly principled? - How can we foster constructive criticism? A Different Perspective Not all complaints are selfish. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Complaint Principled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaint-principled-4701370/) [Complaints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complaints/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Objection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objection/) [Objection Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objection-moral-4701369/) [Opportunistic Objection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunistic-objection-4701371/) [Principled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principled/) [Principled Objection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principled-objection-4701372/) [Rectify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rectify/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-interest/) ## Related quotes > [Take like, say, Obama, he's called "liberal" and he's praised for his "principled objection to the Iraq war". 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I don't have a bicycle or a car or anything, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/in-japan-i-live-in-a-little-neighborhood-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-i/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [“If you take an objection in the ‘relative’, it is intellectual rationalism. ‘We’ don’t have intellectual rationalism. ‘We’ are abuddha (do not have intellect)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-you-take-an-objection-in-the-relative-it-is-intellectual/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [The commonest objection to birth control is that it is against nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-commonest-objection-to-birth-control-is-that-it-is-against-nature/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think my wife would take objection to any characterization of me as perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/i-think-my-wife-would-take-objection-to-any-characterization-of-me-as/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [I have no objection to the concept of domestic partnership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/i-have-no-objection-to-the-concept-of-domestic-partnership/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [I have spoken to many, many Indian chiefs who say they have no objection whatsoever to the nickname.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-spoken-to-many-many-indian-chiefs-who-say-they-have-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To a strong, proven salesperson, an objection is as welcomed as a rain shower on a hot day because it proves that the client…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-a-strong-proven-salesperson-an-objection-is-as-welcomed-as-a-rain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“An objection which applies to all conduct can be no valid objection to any conduct in particular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/an-objection-which-applies-to-all-conduct-can-be-no-valid-objection/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [My great objection to this government is, that it does not leave us the means of defending our rights, or of waging war against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/my-great-objection-to-this-government-is-that-it-does-not-leave-us/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [Man's objection to love is that it dies hard; woman's, that when it is dead, it stays dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/man-s-objection-to-love-is-that-it-dies-hard-woman-s-that-when-it-is/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) ## More by Julian Baggini > [I don't think there is ever a direct connection between the philosophical community and the wider populus. I'm very aware of this because I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/i-don-t-think-there-is-ever-a-direct-connection-between-the/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [Anger clearly has its proper place at work, which is neither wholly absent nor ever present. 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