--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People seldom improve when they have no…" description: "\"People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after\" — Oliver Goldsmith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/oliver-goldsmith-772_improve_people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no_1106895.png" --- # People seldom improve when they have no other model but… ![“People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after” quote by Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/oliver-goldsmith-772_improve_people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no_1106895.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/oliver-goldsmith-772_improve_people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no_1106895.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/oliver-goldsmith-772_improve_people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no_1106895.png) > “People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after” [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People need role models; without them, self-improvement stalls. **In simple terms:** Improvement needs external examples. Key Takeaway Seek mentors and diverse influences. Themes self-improvement role models learning growth influence Mood reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - education - career development - personal coaching - creative projects Key Concepts social learning behavioral modeling cognitive development Questions to Reflect On - Who can you emulate for growth? - How to balance imitation and innovation? A Different Perspective Overemphasizes copying; may limit originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve/) [Improve Model](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve-model-2929178/) [Model Copy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/model-copy-2929179/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Seldom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-seldom-734733/) [Seldom Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seldom-improve-2929177/) ## Related quotes > [“People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy after.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no-model-but-themselves-to-copy/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no-other-model-but-themselves-to-2/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“People seldom improve when they have no model to copy but themselves.-- Anonymous”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-borba/people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no-model-to-copy-but-themselves/) [Michele Borba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-borba/) > [Pedigrees seldom improve by age; the grandson is too often a weak infringement on the grandsire's parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/pedigrees-seldom-improve-by-age-the-grandson-is-too-often-a-weak/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [People seldom hit what they do not aim at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/people-seldom-hit-what-they-do-not-aim-at/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“If you live in a society like ours, in which people seldom object if they hear someone taking the Lord's name in vain but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-you-live-in-a-society-like-ours-in-which-people-seldom-object-if/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [People seldom realize that they tell lies with their lips and truths with their eyes all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/people-seldom-realize-that-they-tell-lies-with-their-lips-and-truths/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [It is a regrettable, but undeniable, fact that the most delightful people are seldom big money-makers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-hillis/it-is-a-regrettable-but-undeniable-fact-that-the-most-delightful/) [Marjorie Hillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-hillis/) > [Enlightened people seldom or never possess a sense of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/enlightened-people-seldom-or-never-possess-a-sense-of-responsibility/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“People over forty can seldom be permanently convinced of anything. At eighteen our convictions are hills from which we look; at forty-five they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/people-over-forty-can-seldom-be-permanently-convinced-of-anything-at/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Social media does reach to many people but it seldom touches them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/social-media-does-reach-to-many-people-but-it-seldom-touches-them/) [Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/) > [“People seldom do what they believe in, they do what is convenient and then repent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/people-seldom-do-what-they-believe-in-they-do-what-is-convenient-and/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [“Where it concerned history, she saw things that people seldom did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manreet-sodhi-someshwar/where-it-concerned-history-she-saw-things-that-people-seldom-did/) [Manreet Sodhi Someshwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manreet-sodhi-someshwar/) > [People seldom read a book which is given to them; and few are given. The way to spread a work is to sell it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/people-seldom-read-a-book-which-is-given-to-them-and-few-are-given/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Reputation matters so much only because people so seldom think for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/reputation-matters-so-much-only-because-people-so-seldom-think-for/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) ## More by Oliver Goldsmith > [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [How happy he who crowns in shades like these, A youth of labour with an age of ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/how-happy-he-who-crowns-in-shades-like-these-a-youth-of-labour-with/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [One man is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and the other with a wooden ladle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/one-man-is-born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-his-mouth-and-the-other-with-a/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack, For he knew when he pleas'd he could whistle them back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/he-cast-off-his-friends-as-a-huntsman-his-pack-for-he-knew-when-he/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Even children follow'd with endearing wile, And pluck'd his gown, to share the good man's smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/even-children-follow-d-with-endearing-wile-and-pluck-d-his-gown-to/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [The premises being thus settled, I proceed to observe that the concatenation of self-existence, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio, naturally produces a problematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-premises-being-thus-settled-i-proceed-to-observe-that-the/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway, and fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/truth-from-his-lips-prevailed-with-double-sway-and-fools-who-came-to/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Politics resemble religion; attempting to divest either of ceremony is the most certain mode of bringing either into contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/politics-resemble-religion-attempting-to-divest-either-of-ceremony-is/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/to-what-fortuitous-occurrence-do-we-not-owe-every-pleasure-and/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Every acknowledgment of gratitude is a circumstance of humiliation; and some are found to submit to frequent mortifications of this kind, proclaiming what obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/every-acknowledgment-of-gratitude-is-a-circumstance-of-humiliation/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [ \[T\]here are depths of thousands of miles which are hidden from our inquiry. The only tidings we have from those unfathomable regions are by… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/t-here-are-depths-of-thousands-of-miles-which-are-hidden-from-our/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Like the bee, we should make our industry our amusement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/like-the-bee-we-should-make-our-industry-our-amusement/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Age, that lessens the enjoyment of life, increases our desire of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/age-that-lessens-the-enjoyment-of-life-increases-our-desire-of-living/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Thus let me hold thee to my heart, And every care resign: And we shall never, never part, My life-my all that's mine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/thus-let-me-hold-thee-to-my-heart-and-every-care-resign-and-we-shall/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Here lies David Garrick, describe me who can, An abridgment of all that was pleasant in man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/here-lies-david-garrick-describe-me-who-can-an-abridgment-of-all-that/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) [Explore all 375 Oliver Goldsmith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) ## More Improve quotes > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [You have to improve; that's how you develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gustafsson/you-have-to-improve-that-s-how-you-develop/) [Alexander Gustafsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gustafsson/) > [I always like to put myself under pressure to improve more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-salah/i-always-like-to-put-myself-under-pressure-to-improve-more/) [Mohamed Salah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-salah/) > [“The fact is that it’s not easy to be excellent. However, you can be as good as you care to be, simply by continuing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-fact-is-that-it-s-not-easy-to-be-excellent-however-you-can-be-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to improve for myself, not for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-matip/i-want-to-improve-for-myself-not-for-other-people/) [Joel Matip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-matip/) > [One needs to constantly read up, practice and work, irrespective of your profession. If I feel as an actor that I know everything, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonam-kapoor/one-needs-to-constantly-read-up-practice-and-work-irrespective-of/) [Sonam Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonam-kapoor/) > [The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-secret-is-here-in-the-present-if-you-pay-attention-to-the-present/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I need to improve my finishing. I need more goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-ji-sung/i-need-to-improve-my-finishing-i-need-more-goals/) [Park Ji-sung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-ji-sung/) > [The only way to improve tomorrow is to know what you did wrong today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-way-to-improve-tomorrow-is-to-know-what-you-did-wrong-today/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are a lot of things wrong with the country, and that doesn't mean America sucks. It means we should improve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/there-are-a-lot-of-things-wrong-with-the-country-and-that-doesn-t/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [I like the competition. You don't improve without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lindelof/i-like-the-competition-you-don-t-improve-without-it/) [Victor Lindelof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lindelof/) > [Know yourself to improve yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-comte/know-yourself-to-improve-yourself/) [Auguste Comte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-comte/) > [I try to improve myself every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-cancelo/i-try-to-improve-myself-every-year/) [Joao Cancelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-cancelo/) > [We do not have to improve ourselves; we just have to let go of what blocks our heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/we-do-not-have-to-improve-ourselves-we-just-have-to-let-go-of-what/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“Improve the quality of your life by improving the quality of your awareness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-flynn/improve-the-quality-of-your-life-by-improving-the-quality-of-your/) [Maria Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-flynn/) [Browse all 1,463 Improve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oliver Goldsmith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no-other-model-but-themselves-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Improve" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no-other-model-but-themselves-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/oliver-goldsmith-772_improve_people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no_1106895.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/oliver-goldsmith-772_improve_people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no_1106895.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/oliver-goldsmith-772_improve_people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no_1106895.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after” — Oliver Goldsmith", "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": "Oliver Goldsmith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People seldom improve when they have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no-other-model-but-themselves-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/people-seldom-improve-when-they-have-no-other-model-but-themselves-to/#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 } } ] } ```