--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ethical rules vary; honour does not…" description: "\"“Ethical rules vary; honour does not change. A man is noble if he prefers to fail rather than to debase the tools of his triumph.”\" — Nicolás Gómez Dávila" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/001/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_character_ethical-rules-vary-honour-does-not-chang_1213512.png" --- # Ethical rules vary; honour does not change. A man is noble… ![“Ethical rules vary; honour does not change. A man is noble if he prefers to fail rather than to debase the tools of his triumph.” quote by Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/001/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_character_ethical-rules-vary-honour-does-not-chang_1213512.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/001/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_character_ethical-rules-vary-honour-does-not-chang_1213512.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/001/nicolas-gomez-davila-9640_character_ethical-rules-vary-honour-does-not-chang_1213512.png) > ““Ethical rules vary; honour does not change. A man is noble if he prefers to fail rather than to debase the tools of his triumph.”” [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral integrity outweighs external success; true nobility is preserving ethical standards even at personal cost. **In simple terms:** Honor stays constant; fail rather than corrupt tools of success. Key Takeaway Choose integrity over convenience. Themes ethics honor nobility Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership decisions - business ethics - personal dilemmas Key Concepts moral philosophy integrity Questions to Reflect On - What would you sacrifice to keep your principles? - How does society reward or punish ethical choices? A Different Perspective Integrity may be costly and socially unpopular. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Ethical Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethical-rules-868350/) [Honour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour/) [Honour Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour-does-3231386/) [Man Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-noble-421537/) [Vary Honour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vary-honour-3688255/) ## Related quotes > [If a Woman can neither Love nor Honour, she does ill in promising to Obey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-astell/if-a-woman-can-neither-love-nor-honour-she-does-ill-in-promising-to/) [Mary Astell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-astell/) > [Virtue knowing no base repulse, shines with untarnished honour; nor does she assume or resign her emblems of honour by the will of some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/virtue-knowing-no-base-repulse-shines-with-untarnished-honour-nor/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Without the Yamas, known as the ethical rules, there is no success in Yoga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharma-mittra/without-the-yamas-known-as-the-ethical-rules-there-is-no-success-in/) [Dharma Mittra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharma-mittra/) > [Using the phrase business ethics might imply that the ethical rules and expectations are somehow different in business than in other contexts. There really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/using-the-phrase-business-ethics-might-imply-that-the-ethical-rules/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [We all have different priorities. There's no one single set of ethical rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/we-all-have-different-priorities-there-s-no-one-single-set-of-ethical/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [With the Ethical Rules and a little concentration, anything is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharma-mittra/with-the-ethical-rules-and-a-little-concentration-anything-is-possible/) [Dharma Mittra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharma-mittra/) > [Time will prolong time, and life will serve life. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-will-tell-you-why-so-shall-my-anticipation-prevent-your-discovery/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Give a man a noble cause and he would fight to the death for what he believed in,but get the woman he loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gayle/give-a-man-a-noble-cause-and-he-would-fight-to-the-death-for-what-he/) [Mike Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gayle/) > [A permanent state of transition is man's most noble condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-ramon-jimenez/a-permanent-state-of-transition-is-man-s-most-noble-condition/) [Juan Ramon Jimenez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-ramon-jimenez/) > [Man is a noble animal, splendid in ashes, and pompous in the grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/man-is-a-noble-animal-splendid-in-ashes-and-pompous-in-the-grave/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) ## More by Nicolás Gómez Dávila > [Violence is not necessary to destroy a civilization. Each civilization dies from indifference toward the unique values which created it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/violence-is-not-necessary-to-destroy-a-civilization-each-civilization/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Modern man’s misfortune lies not in having to live a mediocre life, but in believing that he could live one that is not mediocre.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/modern-man-s-misfortune-lies-not-in-having-to-live-a-mediocre-life/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“The liberation promised by every invention ends with the growing submission of the man who adopts it to the man who manufactures it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-liberation-promised-by-every-invention-ends-with-the-growing/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Revolution is progressivist and seeks the strengthening of the state; rebellion is reactionary and seeks its disappearance. 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What is relative are opinions about truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/truths-are-not-relative-what-is-relative-are-opinions-about-truth/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Every individual with “ideals” is a potential murderer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/every-individual-with-ideals-is-a-potential-murderer/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [Hierarchies are celestial. In hell all are equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/hierarchies-are-celestial-in-hell-all-are-equal/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Faith is not knowledge of an object but communion with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/faith-is-not-knowledge-of-an-object-but-communion-with-it/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“An atheist is respectable as long as he does not teach that the dignity of man is the basis of ethics and that love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/an-atheist-is-respectable-as-long-as-he-does-not-teach-that-the/) [Nicolás Gómez Dávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [The genuine coherence of our ideas does not come from the reasoning that ties them together, but from the spiritual impulse that gives rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-genuine-coherence-of-our-ideas-does-not-come-from-the-reasoning/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Progress ages badly. Each generation brings a new model of progressivism which discards with contempt the previous model. 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