--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You need to know it's your actions that…" description: "\"You need to know it's your actions that will make you a good person, not desire.\" — Matthew Quick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ed/matthew-quick-1377_action_you-need-to-know-it-s-your-actions-that_2819522.png" --- # You need to know it's your actions that will make you a… ![“You need to know it's your actions that will make you a good person, not desire.” quote by Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ed/matthew-quick-1377_action_you-need-to-know-it-s-your-actions-that_2819522.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ed/matthew-quick-1377_action_you-need-to-know-it-s-your-actions-that_2819522.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ed/matthew-quick-1377_action_you-need-to-know-it-s-your-actions-that_2819522.png) > “You need to know it's your actions that will make you a good person, not desire.” [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Character is built through deeds, not wishes. **In simple terms:** Actions define you. Key Takeaway Act with integrity. Themes character action integrity Mood reflective inspirational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - daily decisions - volunteer work - relationship building Key Concepts moral philosophy personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What actions reflect your values? - How can you align deeds with goals? A Different Perspective Intentions matter for motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Actions Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions-make-258339/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Good person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-person/) [Know Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-actions-671846/) [Make Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-good/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Person Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-desire-1021577/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) ## Related quotes > [“it’s your actions that will make you a good person, not desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/it-s-your-actions-that-will-make-you-a-good-person-not-desire/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“Millions of business people are each constantly forced to choose between their desire to not be a bad person and their desire to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/millions-of-business-people-are-each-constantly-forced-to-choose/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Money doesn’t make you a good person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-ward/money-doesn-t-make-you-a-good-person/) [Tracey Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-ward/) > [We are not perfect, but we do what we think that will make us a good person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-g-matias/we-are-not-perfect-but-we-do-what-we-think-that-will-make-us-a-good/) [Andrea G Matias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-g-matias/) > [Being a 'legend' doesn't make you a good person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reby-sky/being-a-legend-doesn-t-make-you-a-good-person/) [Reby Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reby-sky/) > [People act like they know everything about you but then their actions shows nothing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/people-act-like-they-know-everything-about-you-but-then-their-actions/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“Nobody knows what you learned but people comes to know about it through your actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waqas-zaki/nobody-knows-what-you-learned-but-people-comes-to-know-about-it/) [Waqas Zaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waqas-zaki/) > [I wish you knew what I have in my heart for you, but there is no way for you to know except by my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-wish-you-knew-what-i-have-in-my-heart-for-you-but-there-is-no-way/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“The secret of success is before attempting anything, be very clear about why you are doing it.” If you don’t know your objective or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bohdi-sanders/the-secret-of-success-is-before-attempting-anything-be-very-clear/) [Bohdi Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bohdi-sanders/) > [Stop worrying about what you don't know. Focus instead on what you already know even if they don't add up to much. Because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foo/stop-worrying-about-what-you-don-t-know-focus-instead-on-what-you/) [Mark Foo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foo/) > [“It is the responsiblity of every human to know their actions and the consequences of their actions and to ask questions and to question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-the-responsiblity-of-every-human-to-know-their-actions-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We know when our actions fail to match our inner thoughts and feelings, but we often forget that this knowledge is not available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/we-know-when-our-actions-fail-to-match-our-inner-thoughts-and/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [The only way you can know someone is through their actions - you can never know what's going on inside them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-slimani/the-only-way-you-can-know-someone-is-through-their-actions-you-can/) [Leila Slimani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-slimani/) > [You never know where your actions will lead to. But if you don't do anything they will lead you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/you-never-know-where-your-actions-will-lead-to-but-if-you-don-t-do/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Today we know more about Jupiter than the guy who lives next door to us. We can predict where an election will go, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-laszlo-barabasi/today-we-know-more-about-jupiter-than-the-guy-who-lives-next-door-to/) [Albert-Laszlo Barabasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-laszlo-barabasi/) ## More by Matthew Quick > [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Life is not a PG feel-good movie. Real life often ends badly. Literature tries to document this reality, while showing us it is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/life-is-not-a-pg-feel-good-movie-real-life-often-ends-badly/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Maybe my movie isn't over, I say, because sometimes moviemakers trick the audience with a false bad ending, and just when you think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/maybe-my-movie-isn-t-over-i-say-because-sometimes-moviemakers-trick/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“Like maybe he really, truly believes I'm worth listening to, worth saving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/like-maybe-he-really-truly-believes-i-m-worth-listening-to-worth/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [...I am now watching the movie of my life as I live it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-am-now-watching-the-movie-of-my-life-as-i-live-it/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [You need to make time for family no matter what happens in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/you-need-to-make-time-for-family-no-matter-what-happens-in-your-life/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [When she needed help most, she was abandoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/when-she-needed-help-most-she-was-abandoned/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [I am so happy. I am so impossibly happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-am-so-happy-i-am-so-impossibly-happy/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“the only way you could meet my crazy was by doing something crazy for yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/the-only-way-you-could-meet-my-crazy-was-by-doing-something-crazy-for/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [When I travel round the country, people can't place my accent; if there's someone in the audience, they'll be like, 'You're from Philadelphia', but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/when-i-travel-round-the-country-people-can-t-place-my-accent-if-there/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“Empiezo a comprender que tenemos una clase de amistad en la que no se necesitan muchas palabras.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/empiezo-a-comprender-que-tenemos-una-clase-de-amistad-en-la-que-no-se/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [When she needed help most, she was abandoned--and only when she offered help to others was she beloved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/when-she-needed-help-most-she-was-abandoned-and-only-when-she-offered/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“Sounds like the start of a beautiful friendship, Leonard. It really does.” “Here’s looking at you, kid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/sounds-like-the-start-of-a-beautiful-friendship-leonard-it-really/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“The whole time I pretend I have mental telepathy. And with my mind only, I’ll say — or think? — to the target, 'Don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/the-whole-time-i-pretend-i-have-mental-telepathy-and-with-my-mind/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Someday an opportunity will come. Think about Harry Potter. His life is terrible, but then a letter arrives, he gets on a train, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/someday-an-opportunity-will-come-think-about-harry-potter-his-life-is/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) [Explore all 240 Matthew Quick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) ## 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. 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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. 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