--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A sincere person owes it to themselves to…" description: "\"“A sincere person owes it to themselves to expose the frightful barbarity which still prevails in the hidden depths of a society so outwardly well-orde..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/lis-e-reclus-46084_leadership_a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-t_1817384.jpg" --- # A sincere person owes it to themselves to expose the… ![“A sincere person owes it to themselves to expose the frightful barbarity which still prevails in the hidden depths of a society so outwardly well-ordered. Take, for instance, our great cities, the leaders of civilization, especially the most populous, and, in many respects, the first of all — the…” quote by Élisée Reclus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/lis-e-reclus-46084_leadership_a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-t_1817384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/lis-e-reclus-46084_leadership_a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-t_1817384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/lis-e-reclus-46084_leadership_a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-t_1817384.jpg) > ““A sincere person owes it to themselves to expose the frightful barbarity which still prevails in the hidden depths of a society so outwardly well-ordered. Take, for instance, our great cities, the leaders of civilization, especially the most populous, and, in many respects, the first of all — the immense London, which gathers to herself the riches of the world, whose every warehouse is worth a king’s ransom; where are to be found enough, and more than enough, of food and clothing for the needs of the teeming millions that throng her streets in greater numbers than the ants which swarm in the never-ending labyrinth of their subterranean galleries. And yet…beside these untold splendors, want is consuming the vitals of entire populations, and it is only sporadically that the fortunate for whom these hoards are amassed hear, as barely a muffled wailing, the bitter cry which rises eternally from those unseen depths.”” [Élisée Reclus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He urges exposing hidden societal cruelty despite outward order, especially in great cities like London, where wealth masks widespread suffering. **In simple terms:** Reveal hidden suffering behind apparent prosperity. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and address hidden injustices. Themes sociality inequality urban life hidden suffering wealth disparity Mood somber critical reflective Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - Public policy - NGO work - journalism - community activism - urban planning Key Concepts Social critique urban sociology human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we uncover hidden suffering? - What responsibilities do privileged citizens have? A Different Perspective Even with wealth, systemic neglect persists, making change difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) ## Related quotes > [New sentient creatures filled the unseen depths, Life's glory and swiftness ran in the beauty of beasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/new-sentient-creatures-filled-the-unseen-depths-life-s-glory-and/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [You can have Asians being leading men that are sex symbols. You can have leading women powering through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-golding/you-can-have-asians-being-leading-men-that-are-sex-symbols-you-can/) [Henry Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-golding/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Some people you speak to you speak into their heads. It's logical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/some-people-you-speak-to-you-speak-into-their-heads-it-s-logical/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [“Under the treaty of Sevres in 1920 Greece had been given Smyrna, and by 1922 the Greek army was trying to push its way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-faulks/under-the-treaty-of-sevres-in-1920-greece-had-been-given-smyrna-and/) [Sebastian Faulks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-faulks/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It is absolutely necessary... for me to have persons that can think for me, as well as execute orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-absolutely-necessary-for-me-to-have-persons-that-can-think-for/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) ## More by Élisée Reclus > [“Geography is history in place, history is geography in time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/geography-is-history-in-place-history-is-geography-in-time/) [Élisée Reclus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/) > [“One overriding fact dominates all of modern civilization, the fact that the property of a single person can increase indefinitely, and even, by virtue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/one-overriding-fact-dominates-all-of-modern-civilization-the-fact/) [Élisée Reclus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/) > [“The power of kings and emperors has limits, but that of wealth has none at all. The dollar is the master of masters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/the-power-of-kings-and-emperors-has-limits-but-that-of-wealth-has/) [Élisée Reclus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/) > [An individual can be truly moral only when they are their own master. From the moment when they awaken to a comprehension of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/an-individual-can-be-truly-moral-only-when-they-are-their-own-master/) [Elisee Reclus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/) > [“In a word, commercial competition, under the paternal aegis of the law, allows the great majority of merchants-— and this fact is attested to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/in-a-word-commercial-competition-under-the-paternal-aegis-of-the-law/) [Élisée Reclus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/) > [“Laissez faire! Let things alone! have said the judges of the camp. Careers are open; and although the field is covered with corpses, although…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/laissez-faire-let-things-alone-have-said-the-judges-of-the-camp/) [Élisée Reclus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/) [Explore all 7 Élisée Reclus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/) ## More Leadership quotes > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [It is absolutely necessary... for me to have persons that can think for me, as well as execute orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-absolutely-necessary-for-me-to-have-persons-that-can-think-for/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“Under the treaty of Sevres in 1920 Greece had been given Smyrna, and by 1922 the Greek army was trying to push its way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-faulks/under-the-treaty-of-sevres-in-1920-greece-had-been-given-smyrna-and/) [Sebastian Faulks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-faulks/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [Some people you speak to you speak into their heads. It's logical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/some-people-you-speak-to-you-speak-into-their-heads-it-s-logical/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [You can have Asians being leading men that are sex symbols. You can have leading women powering through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-golding/you-can-have-asians-being-leading-men-that-are-sex-symbols-you-can/) [Henry Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-golding/) > [“A man who saw has turned blind, A hearer deaf, A leader now leads astray!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-lichtheim/a-man-who-saw-has-turned-blind-a-hearer-deaf-a-leader-now-leads-astray/) [Miriam Lichtheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-lichtheim/) [Browse all 20,954 Leadership quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A sincere person owes it to themselves to expose the frightful barbarity which still prevails in the hidden depths of a society so outwardly well-ordered. Take, for instance, our great cities, the leaders of civilization, especially the most populous, and, in many respects, the first of all — the immense London, which gathers to herself the riches of the world, whose every warehouse is worth a king’s ransom; where are to be found enough, and more than enough, of food and clothing for the needs of the teeming millions that throng her streets in greater numbers than the ants which swarm in the never-ending labyrinth of their subterranean galleries. And yet…beside these untold splendors, want is consuming the vitals of entire populations, and it is only sporadically that the fortunate for whom these hoards are amassed hear, as barely a muffled wailing, the bitter cry which rises eternally from those unseen depths.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Élisée Reclus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-to-expose-the-frightful/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Leadership" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-to-expose-the-frightful/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/lis-e-reclus-46084_leadership_a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-t_1817384.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/lis-e-reclus-46084_leadership_a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-t_1817384.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/lis-e-reclus-46084_leadership_a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-t_1817384.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A sincere person owes it to themselves to expose the frightful barbarity which still prevails in the hidden…” — Élisée Reclus", "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": "Élisée Reclus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lis-e-reclus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A sincere person owes it to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-to-expose-the-frightful/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lis-e-reclus/a-sincere-person-owes-it-to-themselves-to-expose-the-frightful/#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 } } ] } ```