---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Opinions have vested interests just as…"
description: "\"Opinions have vested interests just as men have.\" — Samuel Butler"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ace/samuel-butler-823_greatness_opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-m_62062.jpg"
---

#  Opinions have vested interests just as men have.

![“Opinions have vested interests just as men have.” quote by Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ace/samuel-butler-823_greatness_opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-m_62062.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ace/samuel-butler-823_greatness_opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-m_62062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ace/samuel-butler-823_greatness_opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-m_62062.jpg)

> “Opinions have vested interests just as men have.”

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Opinions are shaped by personal stakes, just like financial interests influence actions.

**In simple terms:** Bias stems from personal gain.

Key Takeaway

Recognize hidden motives behind statements.

Themes

bias self-interest critical thinking psychology ethics

Mood

skeptical inquisitive

Type

aphorism observation

When to use this quote

- evaluating political rhetoric
- reading news articles
- debating with friends
- analyzing marketing claims

Key Concepts

cognitive bias motivated reasoning

Practical Applications

- media literacy training
- ethical decision-making frameworks

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you identify when an opinion is self-serving?
- What evidence would change a biased view?

A Different Perspective

Not all opinions are driven by self-interest; some arise from genuine concern or evidence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/) [Vested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vested/) [Vested interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vested-interest/) [Vested interests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vested-interests/)

## Related quotes

> [The state is captive to vested interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanusi-lamido-sanusi/the-state-is-captive-to-vested-interests/)

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

> [Ideas may be superior to vested interest. They are also very often the children of vested interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/ideas-may-be-superior-to-vested-interest-they-are-also-very-often-the/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [In pursuing reform, we have to navigate uncharted waters. We may also have to confront protracted problems because we will have to shake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-keqiang/in-pursuing-reform-we-have-to-navigate-uncharted-waters-we-may-also/)

[Li Keqiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-keqiang/)

> [Challenging vested interests requires a government's full commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/challenging-vested-interests-requires-a-government-s-full-commitment/)

[Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/)

> [Perhaps it has been too uncomfortable for those with vested interests to acknowledge, but we have spent the best part of the past century…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/perhaps-it-has-been-too-uncomfortable-for-those-with-vested-interests/)

[Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/)

> [All the vested interests and people who profit by war will - with the journals they control - resolutely oppose any reduction of armaments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randal-cremer/all-the-vested-interests-and-people-who-profit-by-war-will-with-the/)

Randal Cremer

> [The whole debate on what food is best for us is complex, ongoing and often controlled by vested interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-carrott/the-whole-debate-on-what-food-is-best-for-us-is-complex-ongoing-and/)

[Jasper Carrott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-carrott/)

> [There are people with vested interest who do not want us to reform our energy sector so that we remain dependent on imports. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veerappa-moily/there-are-people-with-vested-interest-who-do-not-want-us-to-reform/)

[Veerappa Moily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veerappa-moily/)

> [Climate change should not fundamentally be seen as a political or partisan issue, but it has been turned into a political football primarily by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-balog/climate-change-should-not-fundamentally-be-seen-as-a-political-or/)

[James Balog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-balog/)

> [The male sex still constitute in many ways the most obstinate vested interest one can find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-aungier/the-male-sex-still-constitute-in-many-ways-the-most-obstinate-vested/)

Francis Aungier

> [When you talk to family and friends, they can't tell you anything from an impartial point of view because they have a vested interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-o-driscoll/when-you-talk-to-family-and-friends-they-can-t-tell-you-anything-from/)

[Brian O'Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-o-driscoll/)

> [Obamacare is the wildly complex Rube Goldberg contraption it is because getting the legislation through Congress required so many political tradeoffs and so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/obamacare-is-the-wildly-complex-rube-goldberg-contraption-it-is/)

[Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/)

> ['Fight Master' is a show that Spike came up with. Obviously, Spike has a vested interest in Bellator, which is filling a void that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-couture/fight-master-is-a-show-that-spike-came-up-with-obviously-spike-has-a/)

[Randy Couture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-couture/)

> [Everyone should help women. Everyone has a vested interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/everyone-should-help-women-everyone-has-a-vested-interest/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [Individuals and communities need to clearly tell government if they want parity for First Australians. Only this will overcome the vested interests of governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-forrest/individuals-and-communities-need-to-clearly-tell-government-if-they/)

[Andrew Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-forrest/)

## More by Samuel Butler

> [Is life worth living? This is a question for an embryo not for a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/is-life-worth-living-this-is-a-question-for-an-embryo-not-for-a-man/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [I am the enfant terrible of literature and science. If I cannot, and I know I cannot, get the literary and scientific bigwigs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/i-am-the-enfant-terrible-of-literature-and-science-if-i-cannot-and-i/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [If you follow reason far enough it always leads to conclusions that are contrary to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-you-follow-reason-far-enough-it-always-leads-to-conclusions-that/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/all-animals-except-man-know-that-the-principal-business-of-life-is-to/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [The advantage of doing one's praising for oneself is that one can lay it on so thick and exactly in the right places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-advantage-of-doing-one-s-praising-for-oneself-is-that-one-can-lay/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [Spare the rod and spoil the child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [“we must judge men not so much by what they, as by what they make us feel that they have it in them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/we-must-judge-men-not-so-much-by-what-they-as-by-what-they-make-us/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [If I die prematurely I shall be saved from being bored to death at my own success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-i-die-prematurely-i-shall-be-saved-from-being-bored-to-death-at-my/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [Vaccination is the medical sacrament corresponding to baptism. Whether it is or is not more efficacious I do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/vaccination-is-the-medical-sacrament-corresponding-to-baptism-whether/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [“Having, then, once introduced an element of inconsistency into his system, he was far too consistent not to be inconsistent consistently, and he lapsed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/having-then-once-introduced-an-element-of-inconsistency-into-his/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [Brigands demand your money or your life; women require both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/brigands-demand-your-money-or-your-life-women-require-both/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [A man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/a-man-who-lets-himself-be-bored-is-even-more-contemptible-than-the/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [It is not sufficiently considered in the hour of exultation, that all human excellence is comparative; that no man performs much but in proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/it-is-not-sufficiently-considered-in-the-hour-of-exultation-that-all/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [“The oldest books are still only just out to those who have not read them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-oldest-books-are-still-only-just-out-to-those-who-have-not-read/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [It seems to be the fate of man to seek all his consolations in futurity. The time present is seldom able to fill desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/it-seems-to-be-the-fate-of-man-to-seek-all-his-consolations-in/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

[Explore all 355 Samuel Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

## More Greatness quotes

> [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Every man who is high up likes to think that he has done it all himself, and the wife smiles and lets it go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-man-who-is-high-up-likes-to-think-that-he-has-done-it-all/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/)

[J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/)

[Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/)

> [Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-generally-decide-upon-a-middle-course-which-is-most-hazardous-for/)

[Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/)

> [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/)

[Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/)

> [Greatness is not guarding yourself from people. Greatness is being accepted by the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/greatness-is-not-guarding-yourself-from-people-greatness-is-being/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-is-distressed-by-his-want-lack-of-ability/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [Great men don't 'move to the center' - great men move the center!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/great-men-don-t-move-to-the-center-great-men-move-the-center/)

[L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/)

> [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/)

[Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/)

> [Men want a challenge, but they want a challenge they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gaskell/men-want-a-challenge-but-they-want-a-challenge-they-can-win/)

Whitney Gaskell

[Browse all 7,631 Greatness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Opinions have vested interests just as men have.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Samuel Butler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-men-have/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Greatness"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-men-have/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ace/samuel-butler-823_greatness_opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-m_62062.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ace/samuel-butler-823_greatness_opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-m_62062.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ace/samuel-butler-823_greatness_opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-m_62062.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Opinions have vested interests just as men have.” — Samuel Butler",
                "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": "Samuel Butler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Opinions have vested interests just as...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-men-have/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-men-have/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
