--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not influenced by the expectation of…" description: "\"I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/nathan-hale-30349_expectations_i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-o_1200527.jpg" --- # I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or… ![“I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good, becomes honorable by being necessary. If the exigencies of my country demand a peculiar service, its claim to perform that service are imperious.” quote by Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/nathan-hale-30349_expectations_i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-o_1200527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/nathan-hale-30349_expectations_i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-o_1200527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/nathan-hale-30349_expectations_i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-o_1200527.jpg) > “I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good, becomes honorable by being necessary. If the exigencies of my country demand a peculiar service, its claim to perform that service are imperious.” [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prioritizes public service over personal gain, believing duty to country outweighs rewards. **In simple terms:** Serve the public, not personal gain. Key Takeaway Focus on duty, not rewards. Themes service duty public good integrity Mood determined principled inspirational Type ethical motivational historical When to use this quote - government work - military service - community volunteering - public policy - emergency response Key Concepts civic responsibility altruism ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to serve beyond personal benefit? - How do you balance duty with self‑care? A Different Perspective May conflict with personal needs or safety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expectation Promotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectation-promotion-3598241/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Honorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honorable/) [Honorable Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honorable-necessary-687355/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Promotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promotion/) [Public good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-good/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [Service Imperious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service-imperious-2945833/) [Service Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service-necessary-2059322/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-of-promotion-or-pecuniary-2/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-wish-to-be-useful-and-every-kind-of-service-necessary-to-the-public/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [If the exigencies of my country demand a peculiar service, its claims to perform that service are imperious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/if-the-exigencies-of-my-country-demand-a-peculiar-service-its-claims/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [Every kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/every-kind-of-service-necessary-to-the-public-good-becomes-honorable/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [It is hard to know when we have done enough for the Atonement to change our natures and so qualify us for eternal life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/it-is-hard-to-know-when-we-have-done-enough-for-the-atonement-to/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Our mission in going to Afghanistan was honorable and necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/our-mission-in-going-to-afghanistan-was-honorable-and-necessary/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [We need to revise our economic thinking to give full value to our natural resources. This revised economics will stabilize both the theory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/we-need-to-revise-our-economic-thinking-to-give-full-value-to-our/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [The trade of advertising is now so near to perfection that it is not easy to propose any improvement. But as every art ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-trade-of-advertising-is-now-so-near-to-perfection-that-it-is-not/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Industry is far more efficient than the university in making use of scientific developments for the public good. Reported in 1981, as a co-founder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-boyer/industry-is-far-more-efficient-than-the-university-in-making-use-of/) [Herbert Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-boyer/) > [So there's always been this clash between what is the public good - that which belongs to all of us in common - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-abercrombie/so-there-s-always-been-this-clash-between-what-is-the-public-good/) [Neil Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-abercrombie/) > [Personal faith can be a powerful force for public good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-price/personal-faith-can-be-a-powerful-force-for-public-good/) [David Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-price/) > [People are so docile right now. It is almost as if good government means when the politicians lie to us for our own good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/people-are-so-docile-right-now-it-is-almost-as-if-good-government/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [How can there ever possibly be a conflict between my private interests and the public good?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/how-can-there-ever-possibly-be-a-conflict-between-my-private/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [The foundations of justice are that on one shall suffer wrong; then, that the public good be promoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-foundations-of-justice-are-that-on-one-shall-suffer-wrong-then/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“The public good must come before private interests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-public-good-must-come-before-private-interests/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) ## More by Nathan Hale > [I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-wish-to-be-useful-and-every-kind-of-service-necessary-to-the-public/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-only-regret-that-i-have-but-one-life-to-give-for-my-country/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [Hale is what he is in the American pantheon not because of what he did, but because of why he did it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/hale-is-what-he-is-in-the-american-pantheon-not-because-of-what-he/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [“Liberty? Independence? Are they to remain only words? Gentlemen, let us make them fighting words!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/liberty-independence-are-they-to-remain-only-words-gentlemen-let-us/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [Natan is a good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/natan-is-a-good-man/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [“I have but one life to live for my country”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-have-but-one-life-to-live-for-my-country/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-only-regret-that-i-have-but-one-life-to-lose-for-my-country/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [If the exigencies of my country demand a peculiar service, its claims to perform that service are imperious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/if-the-exigencies-of-my-country-demand-a-peculiar-service-its-claims/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [Shun all vice, especially card playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/shun-all-vice-especially-card-playing/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-of-promotion-or-pecuniary-2/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [It is the duty of every good officer to obey any orders given him by his commander-in-chief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/it-is-the-duty-of-every-good-officer-to-obey-any-orders-given-him-by/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [I miss my wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-miss-my-wife/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [I should probably bequeath the copyrights to my screenplay for Spies Like Us, just in case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-should-probably-bequeath-the-copyrights-to-my-screenplay-for-spies/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [I only regret I have but one live to give for my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-only-regret-i-have-but-one-live-to-give-for-my-country/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) > [I greatly fear some of America's greatest and most dangerous enemies are such as think themselves her best friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-greatly-fear-some-of-america-s-greatest-and-most-dangerous-enemies/) [Nathan Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) [Explore all 17 Nathan Hale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/) ## More Expectations quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I say this all the time: I've always been really good at managing my expectations so that I'm not let down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/i-say-this-all-the-time-i-ve-always-been-really-good-at-managing-my/) [Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Keeping up with everybody's expectation is soooo hard!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi/keeping-up-with-everybody-s-expectation-is-soooo-hard/) [Naomi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi/) > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“Does your reality match your expectations? If not it's time to change either your expectations or your reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/does-your-reality-match-your-expectations-if-not-it-s-time-to-change/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [Jesus' kingdom was not like the popular expectation. He used the phrase 'kingdom of God' with a different meaning. His kingdom was not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-harpur/jesus-kingdom-was-not-like-the-popular-expectation-he-used-the-phrase/) [Tom Harpur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-harpur/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [It's a good place when all you have is hope and not expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/it-s-a-good-place-when-all-you-have-is-hope-and-not-expectations/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [When we give from a place of love, rather than from a place of expectation, more usually comes back to us than we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/when-we-give-from-a-place-of-love-rather-than-from-a-place-of/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Everybody out there watches the show and has expectations of wanting to be an 'Idol', but we're going to teach them how much hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-bice/everybody-out-there-watches-the-show-and-has-expectations-of-wanting/) [Bo Bice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-bice/) > [When we fall utterly, something gathers us up. But our falling must be without reservation, without expectation, without hope, though not hopeless. You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) [Browse all 4,210 Expectations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good, becomes honorable by being necessary. If the exigencies of my country demand a peculiar service, its claim to perform that service are imperious.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nathan Hale" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-of-promotion-or-pecuniary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expectations" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-of-promotion-or-pecuniary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/nathan-hale-30349_expectations_i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-o_1200527.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/nathan-hale-30349_expectations_i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-o_1200527.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce0/nathan-hale-30349_expectations_i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-o_1200527.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind…” — Nathan Hale", "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": "Nathan Hale", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hale/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I am not influenced by the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-of-promotion-or-pecuniary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hale/i-am-not-influenced-by-the-expectation-of-promotion-or-pecuniary/#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 } } ] } ```