--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well-meanin' man. Did it all for the…" description: "\"“Well-meanin' man. Did it all for the best.\" Stalky curled gracefully round the stair-rail. \"Head in a drain-pipe. Full confession in the left boot.”\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b1/rudyard-kipling-527_drain_well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best_3090581.png" --- # Well-meanin' man. Did it all for the best." Stalky curled… ![“Well-meanin' man. Did it all for the best." Stalky curled gracefully round the stair-rail. "Head in a drain-pipe. Full confession in the left boot.” quote by Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b1/rudyard-kipling-527_drain_well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best_3090581.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b1/rudyard-kipling-527_drain_well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best_3090581.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b1/rudyard-kipling-527_drain_well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best_3090581.png) > ““Well-meanin' man. Did it all for the best." Stalky curled gracefully round the stair-rail. "Head in a drain-pipe. Full confession in the left boot.”” [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A man claims to have acted for the greater good despite questionable means, hinting at moral ambiguity and self‑justification. **In simple terms:** Someone says they did bad things for a good reason. Key Takeaway Question motives, not just outcomes. Themes morality justification self‑deception Mood reflective skeptical Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - political decisions - personal choices - historical analysis Key Concepts ethical relativism consequentialism Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports the claim of doing good? - Can ends truly justify means? A Different Perspective Actions may be rationalized after the fact, obscuring true intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Stalky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-stalky-5312185/) [Drain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drain/) [Pipe Confession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pipe-confession-5312186/) [Stair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stair-737209/) [Stalky Curled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stalky-curled-5312187/) ## Related quotes > [“Where I'm is one of those stair climbing machines the agent has installed. You climb and climb forever and never get off the ground.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/where-i-m-is-one-of-those-stair-climbing-machines-the-agent-has/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Morning came, and a grey wash of light found Dan, his cheek thrust hard in the carpeted right-angle of the bottom stair”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/morning-came-and-a-grey-wash-of-light-found-dan-his-cheek-thrust-hard/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [The other day upon the stair, I saw a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today; how I wish he'd go away!"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/the-other-day-upon-the-stair-i-saw-a-man-who-wasn-t-there-he-wasn-t/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Now is the dramatic moment of fate, Watson, when you hear a step upon the stair which is walking into your life, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/now-is-the-dramatic-moment-of-fate-watson-when-you-hear-a-step-upon/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [To ask me is in vain; For who goes up your winding stair Can ne'er come down again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-howitt/to-ask-me-is-in-vain-for-who-goes-up-your-winding-stair-can-ne-er/) [Mary Howitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-howitt/) > [I summon to the winding ancient stair; Set all your mind upon the steep ascent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-summon-to-the-winding-ancient-stair-set-all-your-mind-upon-the/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [“All rising to a great place is by a winding stair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/all-rising-to-a-great-place-is-by-a-winding-stair/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [“when you hear a step upon the stair which is walking into your life,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/when-you-hear-a-step-upon-the-stair-which-is-walking-into-your-life/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“I will not exorcise you—I’d miss your fragrance, the soft tread of your step on the stair”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-geddes/i-will-not-exorcise-you-i-d-miss-your-fragrance-the-soft-tread-of/) [john j geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-j-geddes/) > [“Yesterday upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, I wish to hell he'd go away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/yesterday-upon-the-stair-i-met-a-man-who-wasn-t-there-he-wasn-t-there/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [If you talk to anyone who's done a stair fall, there's not one stair fall, no matter how many pads you have on or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-till/if-you-talk-to-anyone-who-s-done-a-stair-fall-there-s-not-one-stair/) [Lucas Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-till/) > [As I was going up the stair I met a man who wan't there He wasn't there again today Oh I wish he'd go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hughes-mearns/as-i-was-going-up-the-stair-i-met-a-man-who-wan-t-there-he-wasn-t/) [William Hughes Mearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hughes-mearns/) > [“Now let us go, love, down the winding stair, With fingers intertwined...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/now-let-us-go-love-down-the-winding-stair-with-fingers-intertwined/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“But walking down the stairs feeling each stair carefully and holding to the banister he thought, I must get her away and get her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/but-walking-down-the-stairs-feeling-each-stair-carefully-and-holding/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The carpeting on the stair risers caught, racing up to the first-floor level as if to tell dreadful good news.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-carpeting-on-the-stair-risers-caught-racing-up-to-the-first-floor/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by Rudyard Kipling > [Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/borrow-trouble-for-yourself-if-that-s-your-nature-but-don-t-lend-it/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“I follow the Law—the Most Excellent Law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/i-follow-the-law-the-most-excellent-law/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/brothers-and-sisters-i-bid-you-beware-of-giving-your-heart-to-a-dog/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [O it's Tommy this, and Tommy that, and Tommy 'ow's your soul/But it's thin red line of heroes when the drums begin to roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/o-it-s-tommy-this-and-tommy-that-and-tommy-ow-s-your-soul-but-it-s/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Believe the best of everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/believe-the-best-of-everybody/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees, So when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/oh-adam-was-a-gardener-and-god-who-made-him-sees-that-half-a-proper/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Adam was a gardener, and God, who made him, sees that half of all good gardening is done upon the knees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/adam-was-a-gardener-and-god-who-made-him-sees-that-half-of-all-good/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Call a truce, then, to our labors - let us feast with friends and neighbors, and be merry as the custom of our caste;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/call-a-truce-then-to-our-labors-let-us-feast-with-friends-and/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [No one accuses the gunner of maudlin affection for anything except his beasts and his weapons. He serves as least three jealous gods-his horse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/no-one-accuses-the-gunner-of-maudlin-affection-for-anything-except/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“One of these days, Strickland is going to write a little book on his experiences. That book will be worth buying; and even more,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/one-of-these-days-strickland-is-going-to-write-a-little-book-on-his/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Good work does not matter, because a man is judged by his worst output and another man takes all the credit of his best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/good-work-does-not-matter-because-a-man-is-judged-by-his-worst-output/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Those who kill snakes get killed by snakes, said Chuchundra, more sorrowfully than ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/those-who-kill-snakes-get-killed-by-snakes-said-chuchundra-more/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Like everything else in the world, it is one man's work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/like-everything-else-in-the-world-it-is-one-man-s-work/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Father Wolf looked on amazed. He had almost forgotten the days when he won Mother Wolf in fair fight from five other wolves, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/father-wolf-looked-on-amazed-he-had-almost-forgotten-the-days-when-he/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [If you want something and don't get it, there are only two reasons. You either really didn't want it, or you tried to bargain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-want-something-and-don-t-get-it-there-are-only-two-reasons-you/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) [Explore all 491 Rudyard Kipling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) ## More Drain quotes > [“Coercing attitude drains your strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/coercing-attitude-drains-your-strength/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Drains A drain is a mechanic that determines the consumption of resources—that is, a rule specifying how resources permanently drop out of the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-adams/drains-a-drain-is-a-mechanic-that-determines-the-consumption-of/) [Ernest Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-adams/) > [“I need to drain the thermodynamic fluid from my bathos tub.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-need-to-drain-the-thermodynamic-fluid-from-my-bathos-tub/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [How many times do I have to tell you? You have to jam your rod in there really hard, push it in as hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-s/how-many-times-do-i-have-to-tell-you-you-have-to-jam-your-rod-in/) [Mike\_S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-s/) > [You need to shelter yourself from the abrasive forces of life that drain you and keep you in a lower state of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-need-to-shelter-yourself-from-the-abrasive-forces-of-life-that/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“drain off some spinal fluid (huge”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mooney/drain-off-some-spinal-fluid-huge/) [Ken Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mooney/) > [“Complaints drain joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/complaints-drain-joy/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“It’s also sweaty as balls in Dublin at the moment, so any attempt to stick tape to me and keep this in place was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mooney/it-s-also-sweaty-as-balls-in-dublin-at-the-moment-so-any-attempt-to/) [Ken Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mooney/) > [The trouble with going with the flow is, you might wind up getting sucked down the drain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-trouble-with-going-with-the-flow-is-you-might-wind-up-getting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like to sing things that just sound like they're going straight down the tubes, and they're circling the drain, and there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-dylan/i-don-t-like-to-sing-things-that-just-sound-like-they-re-going/) [Jakob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-dylan/) > [It is ironic that we are particular about flushing out all the dirt through the Drain,but we continue to retain a lot of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/it-is-ironic-that-we-are-particular-about-flushing-out-all-the-dirt/) [RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rvm/) > [Start washin' all our worries down the drain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/start-washin-all-our-worries-down-the-drain/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [“If there's black tar in that well, you won't find fresh flowers when you drain it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-m-rk/if-there-s-black-tar-in-that-well-you-won-t-find-fresh-flowers-when/) [Christian Mørk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-m-rk/) > [I'm always having a good day and then once I get home that all goes down the drain...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-always-having-a-good-day-and-then-once-i-get-home-that-all-goes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is an appalling thing to feel all one possesses drain away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/it-is-an-appalling-thing-to-feel-all-one-possesses-drain-away/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) [Browse all 66 Drain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Well-meanin' man. Did it all for the best.\" Stalky curled gracefully round the stair-rail. \"Head in a drain-pipe. Full confession in the left boot.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rudyard Kipling" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best-stalky-curled-gracefully/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best-stalky-curled-gracefully/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b1/rudyard-kipling-527_drain_well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best_3090581.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b1/rudyard-kipling-527_drain_well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best_3090581.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b1/rudyard-kipling-527_drain_well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best_3090581.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Well-meanin' man. Did it all for the best.\" Stalky curled gracefully round the stair-rail. \"Head in a…” — Rudyard Kipling", "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": "Rudyard Kipling", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Well-meanin' man. Did it all for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best-stalky-curled-gracefully/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/well-meanin-man-did-it-all-for-the-best-stalky-curled-gracefully/#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 } } ] } ```