--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is handsomer to remain in the…" description: "\"It is handsomer to remain in the establishment better than the establishment, and conduct that in the best manner, than to make asally against evil by ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_best-man_it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establi_338288.png" --- # It is handsomer to remain in the establishment better than… ![“It is handsomer to remain in the establishment better than the establishment, and conduct that in the best manner, than to make asally against evil by some single improvement, without supporting it by a total regeneration.” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_best-man_it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establi_338288.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_best-man_it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establi_338288.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_best-man_it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establi_338288.png) > “It is handsomer to remain in the establishment better than the establishment, and conduct that in the best manner, than to make asally against evil by some single improvement, without supporting it by a total regeneration.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True reform requires complete transformation, not superficial fixes that leave the system unchanged. **In simple terms:** Partial fixes aren’t enough; overhaul is needed. Key Takeaway Pursue systemic change, not just minor fixes. Themes reform integrity systemic change Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - politics - organizational change - social movements Key Concepts philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever justified to work within a flawed system? - What steps lead to total regeneration? A Different Perspective Small improvements can still be valuable when larger change seems impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) [Establishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/establishment/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Regeneration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regeneration/) [Without Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-support/) ## Related quotes > [A minority government can't govern without support from other parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/a-minority-government-can-t-govern-without-support-from-other-parties/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [To Democrats, guaranteeing voting rights is a critical part of safeguarding democracy. However, we also recognize that our efforts to do so will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-allred/to-democrats-guaranteeing-voting-rights-is-a-critical-part-of/) [Colin Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-allred/) > [Life is like a fence, without support, you fall down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-like-a-fence-without-support-you-fall-down/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the wake of winning the war, Poland wants to help win peace with Iraq. I believe that the international community cannot leave Iraq…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksander-kwasniewski/in-the-wake-of-winning-the-war-poland-wants-to-help-win-peace-with/) [Aleksander Kwasniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksander-kwasniewski/) > [“While the American synagogue was built with the financial support of what are commonly called three-day-a-year Jews, referring to those who may attend the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-m-olitzky/while-the-american-synagogue-was-built-with-the-financial-support-of/) [Kerry M. Olitzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-m-olitzky/) > [ General \[James\] Mattis has said that the deal's in place. We can't unilaterally pull out of it without support from our allies because the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-has-said-that-the-deal-s-in-place-we-can-t/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [Supporting actors are the support. You can't make a building without support. You can't buy dinner without support.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/supporting-actors-are-the-support-you-can-t-make-a-building-without/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [“To defend the oppressed against their oppressors, to plead the cause of the weak against the strong who exploit and crush them, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximilien-de-robespierre/to-defend-the-oppressed-against-their-oppressors-to-plead-the-cause/) Maximilien de Robespierre > [“If you wear without support make your efforts and struggles endless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamaran-ihsan-salih/if-you-wear-without-support-make-your-efforts-and-struggles-endless/) [Kamaran Ihsan Salih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamaran-ihsan-salih/) > [Writers write without support.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/writers-write-without-support/) [Luis Alberto Urrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-alberto-urrea/) > [Leadership without support is like trying to make bricks without enough straw. True leaders reinforce their ideas and plans with strategic partnerships, alliances and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-markham-phd/leadership-without-support-is-like-trying-to-make-bricks-without/) Reed Markham PhD > [People are so quick to point out people's negatives without supporting their positives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-strachan/people-are-so-quick-to-point-out-people-s-negatives-without/) [Michaela Strachan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-strachan/) > [“If you were without support make your efforts and struggles endless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamaran-ihsan-salih/if-you-were-without-support-make-your-efforts-and-struggles-endless/) [Kamaran Ihsan Salih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamaran-ihsan-salih/) > [A blank wall of social and professional antagonism faces the woman physician that forms a situation of singular and painful loneliness, leaving her without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackwell/a-blank-wall-of-social-and-professional-antagonism-faces-the-woman/) [Elizabeth Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackwell/) > [Societies will, of course, wish to exercise prudence in deciding which technologies that is, which applications of science are to be pursued and which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/societies-will-of-course-wish-to-exercise-prudence-in-deciding-which/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More by Ralph Waldo Emerson > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“There is then creative reading as well as creative writing. When the mind is braced by labor and invention, the page of whatever book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-then-creative-reading-as-well-as-creative-writing-when-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The order of things consents to virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-order-of-things-consents-to-virtue/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Life only avails, not the having lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/life-only-avails-not-the-having-lived/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-child-reminds-us-that-playtime-is-an-essential-part-of-our-daily/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am; therefore, I had nothing better to do than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-am-therefore-i-had-nothing-better-to-do-than-to-think/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Explore all 4,802 Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More Best man quotes > [“Instantly, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I didn't know exactly what I was feeling, but my buddy JD - my best man, whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-bishop/instantly-i-was-overwhelmed-with-gratitude-i-didn-t-know-exactly-what/) [Bryan Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-bishop/) > [Social control is best managed through fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/social-control-is-best-managed-through-fear/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > ['Tempting the Best Man' centers around Madison Daniels, who's had a major crush on her brother's best friend since she was a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-armentrout/tempting-the-best-man-centers-around-madison-daniels-who-s-had-a/) [Jennifer Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-armentrout/) > [In this coming year, I will seek knowledge from those wiser than me and try to teach those who wish to learn from me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-allman/in-this-coming-year-i-will-seek-knowledge-from-those-wiser-than-me/) [Duane Allman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-allman/) > [“The best man. You know? He hands you the ring and has to marry the bride if you ran away and so on. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-best-man-you-know-he-hands-you-the-ring-and-has-to-marry-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [For me it's really tough because you have to go to that place where you really, really don't want to go to or revisit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-chestnut/for-me-it-s-really-tough-because-you-have-to-go-to-that-place-where/) [Morris Chestnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-chestnut/) > [“Thank you. Thank you for raising my best friend. For raising the best man I have ever met.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/thank-you-thank-you-for-raising-my-best-friend-for-raising-the-best/) [Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/) > [Well, that’s just a little hard, since I can’t even talk her into sparing your life, huh? You haven’t exactly endeared yourself to her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/well-that-s-just-a-little-hard-since-i-can-t-even-talk-her-into/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [My mother is the best not because she cooks great or wash my clothes well… she is the BEST because she gave birth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mharwhyn/my-mother-is-the-best-not-because-she-cooks-great-or-wash-my-clothes/) MHARWHYN > [“But destiny will be accomplished, and the best man will hold his ground while the undeserving one will vanish into his back-alley for ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/but-destiny-will-be-accomplished-and-the-best-man-will-hold-his/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Joss Whedon is the best man on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobie-smulders/joss-whedon-is-the-best-man-on-the-planet/) [Cobie Smulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobie-smulders/) > [“Gillette--The best a man can get." I stared at the screen. What happened to me? I was meant to be one of those guys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/gillette-the-best-a-man-can-get-i-stared-at-the-screen-what-happened/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [As a boy I heard this story in church. A man was patching a pitched roof of a tall building when he began sliding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/as-a-boy-i-heard-this-story-in-church-a-man-was-patching-a-pitched/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [It's time for male leaders to not only ask for binders of qualified women, but to re-write the definition of 'qualified.' The best man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/it-s-time-for-male-leaders-to-not-only-ask-for-binders-of-qualified/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Sir Alex, one of the best managers of all time. After 26 years of success in the game, we all owe him a tribute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-kompany/sir-alex-one-of-the-best-managers-of-all-time-after-26-years-of/) [Vincent Kompany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-kompany/) [Browse all 304 Best man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is handsomer to remain in the establishment better than the establishment, and conduct that in the best manner, than to make asally against evil by some single improvement, without supporting it by a total regeneration.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ralph Waldo Emerson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establishment-better-than-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establishment-better-than-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_best-man_it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establi_338288.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_best-man_it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establi_338288.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_best-man_it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establi_338288.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is handsomer to remain in the establishment better than the establishment, and conduct that in the best…” — Ralph Waldo Emerson", "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": "Ralph Waldo Emerson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is handsomer to remain in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establishment-better-than-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-handsomer-to-remain-in-the-establishment-better-than-the/#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 } } ] } ```