--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Honesty and wisdom are such a delightful…" description: "\"Honesty and wisdom are such a delightful pastime, at another person's expense!\" — Nathaniel Hawthorne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_expenses_honesty-and-wisdom-are-such-a-delightful_1465024.jpg" --- # Honesty and wisdom are such a delightful pastime, at… ![“Honesty and wisdom are such a delightful pastime, at another person's expense!” quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_expenses_honesty-and-wisdom-are-such-a-delightful_1465024.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_expenses_honesty-and-wisdom-are-such-a-delightful_1465024.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/nathaniel-hawthorne-461_expenses_honesty-and-wisdom-are-such-a-delightful_1465024.jpg) > “Honesty and wisdom are such a delightful pastime, at another person's expense!” [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Finding pleasure in others' misfortune reveals a cruel, selfish side of human nature. **In simple terms:** Enjoying others' pain shows cruelty. Key Takeaway Avoid harming others for amusement. Themes ethics human nature empathy Mood reflective critical Type ethical observational When to use this quote - social gatherings - online trolling - office politics - friendship dynamics Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever laugh at others' failures? - How can you shift to supportive humor? A Different Perspective Pleasure from others' suffering can damage relationships and trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Frankness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frankness/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Crafting, or 'making things,' has always been a delightful pastime of mine because it requires putting common elements together in order to achieve a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/crafting-or-making-things-has-always-been-a-delightful-pastime-of/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [A marriage based on full confidence, based on complete and unqualified frankness on both sides; they are not keeping anything back; there's no deception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/a-marriage-based-on-full-confidence-based-on-complete-and-unqualified/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/life-is-too-short-to-be-little-man-is-never-so-manly-as-when-he-feels/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Frankness is a jewel; only the young can afford it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/frankness-is-a-jewel-only-the-young-can-afford-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I have a different idea of elegance. I don't dress like a fop, it's true, but my moral grooming is impeccable. I never appear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmond-rostand/i-have-a-different-idea-of-elegance-i-don-t-dress-like-a-fop-it-s/) [Edmond Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmond-rostand/) > [We are franker towards others than towards ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-are-franker-towards-others-than-towards-ourselves/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [There are too many false things in the world, and I don't want to be a part of them. If you say what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-bench/there-are-too-many-false-things-in-the-world-and-i-don-t-want-to-be-a/) [Johnny Bench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-bench/) > [Revealing yourself, physically or emotionally, to cast and crew is frequently uncomfortable. But it is essential if you want to to tell the truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-harold/revealing-yourself-physically-or-emotionally-to-cast-and-crew-is/) [Gale Harold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-harold/) > [You must study to be frank with the world: Frankness is the child of honesty and courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/you-must-study-to-be-frank-with-the-world-frankness-is-the-child-of-2/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“Oh yes, I am frequently driven to an enraged frenzy by the blatantly crass actions of others. But to be painfully honest, that anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/oh-yes-i-am-frequently-driven-to-an-enraged-frenzy-by-the-blatantly/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [...and yet could swear it was just then that I fell in love. 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Frankness just stirred up trouble amoung women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-dalby/what-was-the-point-i-told-myself-of-trying-to-explain-to-people-who/) [Liza Dalby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-dalby/) > [The love of their country is with them only a mode of flattering its master; as soon as they think that master can no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-custine/the-love-of-their-country-is-with-them-only-a-mode-of-flattering-its/) [Marquis De Custine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-custine/) > [The 'frankness' of people sunk below shame is a very cheap frankness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-frankness-of-people-sunk-below-shame-is-a-very-cheap-frankness/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [You must study to be frank with the world: frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just what you mean to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/you-must-study-to-be-frank-with-the-world-frankness-is-the-child-of/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) ## More by Nathaniel Hawthorne > [“there was something of the women molded into the great, stalwart frame of Hollingsworth; nor was he ashamed of it; as men often are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-was-something-of-the-women-molded-into-the-great-stalwart-frame/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [The trees reflected in the river - they are unconscious of a spiritual world so near to them. So are we.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-trees-reflected-in-the-river-they-are-unconscious-of-a-spiritual/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“The dismaying thing about the classic totalitarian mind is that any given gear, though mutilated, will have at its circumference unbroken sequences of teeth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-dismaying-thing-about-the-classic-totalitarian-mind-is-that-any/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“My heart was a habitation large enough for many guests, but lonely and chill, and without a household fire, I longed to kindle one!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/my-heart-was-a-habitation-large-enough-for-many-guests-but-lonely-and/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Wherever there is a heart and an intellect, the diseases of the physical frame are tinged with the peculiarities of these.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/wherever-there-is-a-heart-and-an-intellect-the-diseases-of-the/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-founders-of-a-new-colony-whatever-utopia-of-human-virtue-and/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Generosity is the flower of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/generosity-is-the-flower-of-justice/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“he seemed to be in quest for mental food, not heart sustenance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/he-seemed-to-be-in-quest-for-mental-food-not-heart-sustenance/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“Unfathomable to mere mortals is the lore of fiends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/unfathomable-to-mere-mortals-is-the-lore-of-fiends/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“Possibly, he was in a state of second growth and recovery, and was constantly assimilating nutriment for his spirit and intellect from sights, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/possibly-he-was-in-a-state-of-second-growth-and-recovery-and-was/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“What wonder, then, should we be frightened by the aspect of a monster, which, after all,—though we can point to every feature of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/what-wonder-then-should-we-be-frightened-by-the-aspect-of-a-monster/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [As the architecture of a country always follows the earliest structures, American architecture should be a refinement of the log-house. The Egyptian is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/as-the-architecture-of-a-country-always-follows-the-earliest/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [What we call real estate - the solid ground to build a house on - is the broad foundation on which nearly all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/what-we-call-real-estate-the-solid-ground-to-build-a-house-on-is-the/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“The bookworm of great libraries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-bookworm-of-great-libraries/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [There are many things in this world that a child must not ask about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-are-many-things-in-this-world-that-a-child-must-not-ask-about/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) [Explore all 526 Nathaniel Hawthorne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) ## More Expenses quotes > [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/) William Henry Pickering > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. 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