--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's strange that men should take up…" description: "\"It's strange that men should take up crime when there are so many legal ways to be dishonest.\" — Laurence J. Peter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f0/laurence-j-peter-2798_crime_it-s-strange-that-men-should-take-up-cri_1084362.png" --- # It's strange that men should take up crime when there are… ![“It's strange that men should take up crime when there are so many legal ways to be dishonest.” quote by Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f0/laurence-j-peter-2798_crime_it-s-strange-that-men-should-take-up-cri_1084362.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f0/laurence-j-peter-2798_crime_it-s-strange-that-men-should-take-up-cri_1084362.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f0/laurence-j-peter-2798_crime_it-s-strange-that-men-should-take-up-cri_1084362.png) > “It's strange that men should take up crime when there are so many legal ways to be dishonest.” [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often choose illegal actions despite many lawful ways to be unethical, highlighting a paradox in moral decision‑making. **In simple terms:** People pick crime even when legal cheating is possible. Key Takeaway Recognize and avoid rationalizing illegal choices. Themes ethics human behavior morality paradox decision‑making Mood critical reflective analytical Type ethics behavioral psychology When to use this quote - Corporate compliance training - legal education - ethical workshops Key Concepts Rationalization cognitive dissonance social norms Questions to Reflect On - Why do people prefer overt crime over subtle dishonesty? - What systems can reduce the appeal of illegal actions? A Different Perspective Legal loopholes can be as harmful as outright crime. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sarcasm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sarcasm/) [Sarcastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sarcastic/) ## Related quotes > [Crime and legal stories, broadly speaking, are just where my interest happens to lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/crime-and-legal-stories-broadly-speaking-are-just-where-my-interest/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of happy, fat women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/can-you-imagine-a-world-without-men-no-crime-and-lots-of-happy-fat/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Can you imagine a world without men? There'd be no crime, and lots of fat happy women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-hollander/can-you-imagine-a-world-without-men-there-d-be-no-crime-and-lots-of/) [Nicole Hollander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-hollander/) > [“We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope; without it the life of the cities would drive all men into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/we-need-the-possibility-of-escape-as-surely-as-we-need-hope-without/) [Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/) > [SARCASM the body's natural defense against stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sarcasm-the-body-s-natural-defense-against-stupidity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/when-i-was-a-boy-of-14-my-father-was-so-ignorant-i-could-hardly-stand/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“This is awesome," Tsunami said. "I'm so excited." "Going to see my very favorite dragon in all of Pyrrhia." "Are you being Glory now?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tui-t-sutherland/this-is-awesome-tsunami-said-i-m-so-excited-going-to-see-my-very/) [Tui T. Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tui-t-sutherland/) > [Sometimes Americans don't quite get my sense of humor. My good ol' British sarcasm seems to go over their heads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-westwood/sometimes-americans-don-t-quite-get-my-sense-of-humor-my-good-ol/) [Lee Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-westwood/) > [“It's not hard to fail...it's hard to accept you failed...but once that's out of the way, it's pretty smooth sailing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-stern/it-s-not-hard-to-fail-it-s-hard-to-accept-you-failed-but-once-that-s/) [Josh Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-stern/) > [Some people pay a compliment as if they expected a receipt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/some-people-pay-a-compliment-as-if-they-expected-a-receipt/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [Creative semantics is the key to contemporary government; it consists of talking in strange tongues lest the public learn the inevitable inconveniently early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/creative-semantics-is-the-key-to-contemporary-government-it-consists/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think whoever started the 'Good morning' thing was just being sarcastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-whoever-started-the-good-morning-thing-was-just-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sorry, honey. Sarcasm falls from my mouth as easily as stupidity falls from yours...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-honey-sarcasm-falls-from-my-mouth-as-easily-as-stupidity-falls/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A married woman is a slave you must know how to seat upon a throne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-married-woman-is-a-slave-you-must-know-how-to-seat-upon-a-throne/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) ## More by Laurence J. Peter > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [It is wise to remember that you are one of those who can be fooled some of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/it-is-wise-to-remember-that-you-are-one-of-those-who-can-be-fooled/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Everyone rises to their level of incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Give a child enough rope and he will trip you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/give-a-child-enough-rope-and-he-will-trip-you-up/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Incompetence plus incompetence equals incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/incompetence-plus-incompetence-equals-incompetence/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [He laughs best whose laugh lasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/he-laughs-best-whose-laugh-lasts/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [The best intelligence test is what we do with our leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-best-intelligence-test-is-what-we-do-with-our-leisure/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [A man convinced against his will is not convinced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/a-man-convinced-against-his-will-is-not-convinced/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Bore : A fellow who can change the subject back to his topic of conversation faster than you can change it back to yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/bore-a-fellow-who-can-change-the-subject-back-to-his-topic-of/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Men now monopolize the upper levels... depriving women of their rightful share of opportunities for incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/men-now-monopolize-the-upper-levels-depriving-women-of-their-rightful/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [An optimist is one who makes the best of it when he gets the worst of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/an-optimist-is-one-who-makes-the-best-of-it-when-he-gets-the-worst-of/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [The seaman tells stories of winds, the ploughman of bulls; the soldier details his wounds, the shepherd his sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-seaman-tells-stories-of-winds-the-ploughman-of-bulls-the-soldier/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Nobody can be perfect unless he admits his faults, but if he has faults how can he be perfect?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/nobody-can-be-perfect-unless-he-admits-his-faults-but-if-he-has/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and advertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/early-to-bed-early-to-rise-work-like-hell-and-advertise/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) [Explore all 148 Laurence J. Peter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) ## More Crime quotes > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/) [Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/) > [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too much virtue can be criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/too-much-virtue-can-be-criminal/) [Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/) > [The federal prison population increased by almost 800 percent between 1980 and 2013, often at a far faster rate than the Bureau of Prisons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/the-federal-prison-population-increased-by-almost-800-percent-between/) [Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/) > [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/) Avis Bohlen [Browse all 8,359 Crime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's strange that men should take up crime when there are so many legal ways to be dishonest.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurence J. 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