--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every noble action is selfish. Some…" description: "\"Every noble action is selfish. Some selfish actions are nobler than others. But they are all selfish. And as such there can be no action purely noble a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/kedar-joshi-2717_action_every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfi_3046562.jpg" --- # Every noble action is selfish. Some selfish actions are… ![“Every noble action is selfish. Some selfish actions are nobler than others. But they are all selfish. And as such there can be no action purely noble anyway. Even the nobility in God's great philosophical intentions is bounded by his vanity.” quote by Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/kedar-joshi-2717_action_every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfi_3046562.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/kedar-joshi-2717_action_every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfi_3046562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/kedar-joshi-2717_action_every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfi_3046562.jpg) > “Every noble action is selfish. Some selfish actions are nobler than others. But they are all selfish. And as such there can be no action purely noble anyway. Even the nobility in God's great philosophical intentions is bounded by his vanity.” [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage claims all noble actions are selfish, suggesting even divine intentions are tainted by vanity. **In simple terms:** All noble deeds have selfish roots; even divine plans are self‑interested. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden motives in altruism. Themes ethics philosophy vanity motivation Mood philosophical skeptical Type ethical theoretical When to use this quote - leadership - policy making - personal reflection Key Concepts moral psychology theology human nature Questions to Reflect On - Can any act be truly selfless? - How does vanity influence moral decisions? A Different Perspective May be overly cynical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Action Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action-selfish-2137294/) [Actions Nobler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions-nobler-5048121/) [Great philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-philosophical-76162/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Nobility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobility/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Nobler Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobler-selfish-5048119/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Selfish Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish-action-5048117/) [Selfish Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish-actions-4100498/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) ## Related quotes > [The only thing that was sharper and that scarred more was the selfish actions of those you loved when they made it crystal clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/the-only-thing-that-was-sharper-and-that-scarred-more-was-the-selfish/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The good Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action I can recall in our association. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/the-good-watson-had-at-that-time-deserted-me-for-a-wife-the-only/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [The spiritual life is a call to action. But it is a call to ... action without any selfish attachment to the results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eknath-easwaran/the-spiritual-life-is-a-call-to-action-but-it-is-a-call-to-action/) [Eknath Easwaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eknath-easwaran/) > [No woman has been a significant original thinker in any of the world's great philosophical traditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/no-woman-has-been-a-significant-original-thinker-in-any-of-the-world/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [Jacques Tati is the great philosophical tinkerer of comedy, taking meticulous care to arrange his films so that they unfold in a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/jacques-tati-is-the-great-philosophical-tinkerer-of-comedy-taking/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [It can be shown that a mathematical web of some kind can be woven about any universe containing several objects. The fact that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/it-can-be-shown-that-a-mathematical-web-of-some-kind-can-be-woven/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There will be no end to the troubles of states,Or of humanity itself,Till philosophers become kings in this world,Or till those we now call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/there-will-be-no-end-to-the-troubles-of-states-or-of-humanity-itself/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [You can only be you when you do your best. When you don't do your best you are denying yourself the right to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/you-can-only-be-you-when-you-do-your-best-when-you-don-t-do-your-best/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [“Fredkin was quoted by Robert Wright in the 1980s as saying, There are three great philosophical questions. What is life? What is consciousness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/fredkin-was-quoted-by-robert-wright-in-the-1980s-as-saying-there-are/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [I could never figure out or probably did not take the trouble to figure out what the great philosophical problems are about. The momentous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/i-could-never-figure-out-or-probably-did-not-take-the-trouble-to/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## More by Kedar Joshi > [It is human to search for the theory of everything and it is superhuman to find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/it-is-human-to-search-for-the-theory-of-everything-and-it-is/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [Man is more social within than without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/man-is-more-social-within-than-without/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [Life is painful to be meaningful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/life-is-painful-to-be-meaningful/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [True love is like religion. It is full of devotion and free of doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/true-love-is-like-religion-it-is-full-of-devotion-and-free-of-doubt/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [What can be greater to life than to understand its meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/what-can-be-greater-to-life-than-to-understand-its-meaning/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [“Christianity would be helpless without the idea of free will and the idea of free will would be helpless without incongruity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/christianity-would-be-helpless-without-the-idea-of-free-will-and-the/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [If knowledge is my God, doubt would be my religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/if-knowledge-is-my-god-doubt-would-be-my-religion/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [Painful life is brutal and painless life is superficial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/painful-life-is-brutal-and-painless-life-is-superficial/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [The most fundamental tragedy of my life is that the ones who I see do not exist and the one who exists I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/the-most-fundamental-tragedy-of-my-life-is-that-the-ones-who-i-see-do/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [“The language of sword is less powerful than the language of word, but most of the people understand the language of sword with greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/the-language-of-sword-is-less-powerful-than-the-language-of-word-but/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [In reality the universe has no geometry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/in-reality-the-universe-has-no-geometry/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [I'm a slumdog philosopher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/i-m-a-slumdog-philosopher/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [History is an orphan. It can speak, but cannot hear. It can give, but cannot take. Its wounds and tragedies can be read and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/history-is-an-orphan-it-can-speak-but-cannot-hear-it-can-give-but/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [The will of man is the will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/the-will-of-man-is-the-will-of-god/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [Any systematic body of knowledge is science. The more systematic the body of knowledge is the more scientific it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/any-systematic-body-of-knowledge-is-science-the-more-systematic-the/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) [Explore all 153 Kedar Joshi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) [Browse all 14,940 Action quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every noble action is selfish. Some selfish actions are nobler than others. But they are all selfish. And as such there can be no action purely noble anyway. Even the nobility in God's great philosophical intentions is bounded by his vanity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kedar Joshi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfish-actions-are-nobler-than/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Action" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfish-actions-are-nobler-than/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/kedar-joshi-2717_action_every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfi_3046562.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/kedar-joshi-2717_action_every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfi_3046562.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/kedar-joshi-2717_action_every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfi_3046562.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every noble action is selfish. Some selfish actions are nobler than others. But they are all selfish. And as…” — Kedar Joshi", "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": "Kedar Joshi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every noble action is selfish. Some...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfish-actions-are-nobler-than/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/every-noble-action-is-selfish-some-selfish-actions-are-nobler-than/#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 } } ] } ```