--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't just do what is required, do what…" description: "\"“Don't just do what is required, do what is respected then, at you'll know, you did the right thing even if it works out wrong.”\" — Michael P. Naughton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a15/michael-p-naughton-34356_ethics_don-t-just-do-what-is-required-do-what-i_884436.jpg" --- # Don't just do what is required, do what is respected then… ![“Don't just do what is required, do what is respected then, at you'll know, you did the right thing even if it works out wrong.” quote by Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a15/michael-p-naughton-34356_ethics_don-t-just-do-what-is-required-do-what-i_884436.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a15/michael-p-naughton-34356_ethics_don-t-just-do-what-is-required-do-what-i_884436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a15/michael-p-naughton-34356_ethics_don-t-just-do-what-is-required-do-what-i_884436.jpg) > ““Don't just do what is required, do what is respected then, at you'll know, you did the right thing even if it works out wrong.”” [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beyond mere compliance, aim for respected actions; even if outcomes falter, integrity remains. **In simple terms:** Do respected work, not just required work. Key Takeaway Prioritize integrity. Themes ethics leadership respect Mood motivational thoughtful Type leadership ethical When to use this quote - corporate governance - team projects - strategic planning Key Concepts organizational culture decision making risk management Questions to Reflect On - When does doing the right thing conflict with results? - How can you balance respect and effectiveness? A Different Perspective Respect alone may not guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Did Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-right/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Motivational quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-quotes/) [Required Respected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/required-respected-1084593/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Respected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respected/) [Respected Ll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respected-ll-1084594/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) ## Related quotes > [I take full responsability...for what we did. It was the right thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-take-full-responsability-for-what-we-did-it-was-the-right-thing-to/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I've always thought that as long as I did the right things and had the right intentions, everything would fall into place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-travolta/i-ve-always-thought-that-as-long-as-i-did-the-right-things-and-had/) [John Travolta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-travolta/) > [I'm Sorry that I said goodbye, people say I did the right thing but they don't have to cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/i-m-sorry-that-i-said-goodbye-people-say-i-did-the-right-thing-but/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [“Now take a good look at the life you're living and tell me: Did they do the right thing?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/now-take-a-good-look-at-the-life-you-re-living-and-tell-me-did-they/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [I always felt that if I did the right thing, that if I trained hard and worked hard, I'd be rewarded somehow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micky-ward/i-always-felt-that-if-i-did-the-right-thing-that-if-i-trained-hard/) [Micky Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micky-ward/) > [Don't ask yourself what you did wrong; ask yourself what you did right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/don-t-ask-yourself-what-you-did-wrong-ask-yourself-what-you-did-right/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [“He did all the right things: flew aeroplanes, shot, fished for salmon, hunted; and even better, all the wrong things: kept grass snakes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-macdonald/he-did-all-the-right-things-flew-aeroplanes-shot-fished-for-salmon/) [Helen Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-macdonald/) > [I can finally say that I'm a champion, and I did it the right way. 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Even though I still occasionally think about it, I still think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/i-just-knew-it-was-time-to-leave-that-thing-where-it-was-even-though/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [My parents let me and my brother do what we wanted to do as long as we did it the right way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/my-parents-let-me-and-my-brother-do-what-we-wanted-to-do-as-long-as/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [“Growing up wasn't so bad, as long as you did it with the right person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-alexander/growing-up-wasn-t-so-bad-as-long-as-you-did-it-with-the-right-person/) [Monica Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-alexander/) > [I'm not saying that everything I did was right, but everything I did was for an honourable purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/i-m-not-saying-that-everything-i-did-was-right-but-everything-i-did/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [If Eric thinks I did something right, I must have done it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/if-eric-thinks-i-did-something-right-i-must-have-done-it-wrong/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“In his own way he recognized his madness, and that was the sort of thing mad people did, right enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-his-own-way-he-recognized-his-madness-and-that-was-the-sort-of/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by Michael P. Naughton > [“Your reciept is your library card." -- On what killed the brick and mortar bookstores.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/your-reciept-is-your-library-card-on-what-killed-the-brick-and-mortar/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“Things don't happen for a reason, we make reasons out of things that happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/things-don-t-happen-for-a-reason-we-make-reasons-out-of-things-that/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“I didn't grow up in a Norman Rockwell house... my house was more akin to Norman Lear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/i-didn-t-grow-up-in-a-norman-rockwell-house-my-house-was-more-akin-to/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“There's nothing quite like the sound of chainsaws over morning coffee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/there-s-nothing-quite-like-the-sound-of-chainsaws-over-morning-coffee/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“You don't have to reinvent the wheel... just steal the hubcaps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/you-don-t-have-to-reinvent-the-wheel-just-steal-the-hubcaps/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“History's greatest composers world be rolling in their graves if they knew that their beautiful compositions were reduced to distorted hold music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/history-s-greatest-composers-world-be-rolling-in-their-graves-if-they/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“Freedom of Speech has become Freedom of Stupidity on the internet. Some ignominious users should not be given a voice to comment at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/freedom-of-speech-has-become-freedom-of-stupidity-on-the-internet/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“Be the competition you wish to see in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/be-the-competition-you-wish-to-see-in-the-world/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“Poetry is not for profit. Poetry is for Posterity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/poetry-is-not-for-profit-poetry-is-for-posterity/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“Rock is not dead, but it is The Walking Dead, with a few groups still trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse of musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/rock-is-not-dead-but-it-is-the-walking-dead-with-a-few-groups-still/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“The key to good writing is to leave Boo Radley in the house until the end of the story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/the-key-to-good-writing-is-to-leave-boo-radley-in-the-house-until-the/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“History's greatest composers would be appalled to hear their greatest works reduced to distorted hold music for businesses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/history-s-greatest-composers-would-be-appalled-to-hear-their-greatest/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [“Social Media is a shared delusion of grandeur.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/social-media-is-a-shared-delusion-of-grandeur/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) [Explore all 14 Michael P. Naughton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) ## More Ethics quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) [Rabelaise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabelaise/) > [He who mistrusts most should be trusted least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theognis-of-megara/he-who-mistrusts-most-should-be-trusted-least/) [Theognis of Megara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theognis-of-megara/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [Ethics is the activity of man directed to secure the inner perfection of his own personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/ethics-is-the-activity-of-man-directed-to-secure-the-inner-perfection/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Records, radio, television, movies, magazines-all are monopolized by the money managers who are guided by one ethic, the words wealth and power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/records-radio-television-movies-magazines-all-are-monopolized-by-the/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [What our species needs, above all else, is a generally accepted ethical system that is compatible with the scientific knowledge we now possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-our-species-needs-above-all-else-is-a-generally-accepted-ethical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ethics is not definable, is not implementable, because it is not conscious; it involves not only our thinking, but also our feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valdemar-w-setzer/ethics-is-not-definable-is-not-implementable-because-it-is-not/) [Valdemar W Setzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valdemar-w-setzer/) > [Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-hayes/any-time-you-give-a-man-something-he-doesn-t-earn-you-cheapen-him-our/) [Woody Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-hayes/) [Browse all 4,548 Ethics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Don't just do what is required, do what is respected then, at you'll know, you did the right thing even if it works out wrong.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael P. 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