--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A Scotchman must be a very sturdy…" description: "\"A Scotchman must be a very sturdy moralist who does not love Scotland better than truth.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/samuel-johnson-50_doe_a-scotchman-must-be-a-very-sturdy-morali_731156.png" --- # A Scotchman must be a very sturdy moralist who does not… ![“A Scotchman must be a very sturdy moralist who does not love Scotland better than truth.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/samuel-johnson-50_doe_a-scotchman-must-be-a-very-sturdy-morali_731156.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/samuel-johnson-50_doe_a-scotchman-must-be-a-very-sturdy-morali_731156.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d4/samuel-johnson-50_doe_a-scotchman-must-be-a-very-sturdy-morali_731156.png) > “A Scotchman must be a very sturdy moralist who does not love Scotland better than truth.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A true moralist values truth over national loyalty. **In simple terms:** Moralists prioritize truth over patriotism. Key Takeaway Uphold truth above bias. Themes ethics nationalism integrity Mood serious inspirational Type ethical didactic When to use this quote - journalism - education - public discourse - legal judgments Key Concepts moral philosophy truthfulness Questions to Reflect On - When have you faced truth versus loyalty? - How can societies encourage truth‑seeking? A Different Perspective Patriotic pressure may conflict with truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Moralist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moralist/) [Scotland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scotland/) [Scotsmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scotsmen/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Much may be made of a Scotchman, if he be caught young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/much-may-be-made-of-a-scotchman-if-he-be-caught-young/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees is the high road that leads him to England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-noblest-prospect-which-a-scotchman-ever-sees-is-the-high-road/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The moralist must praise heroism and condemn cruelty; but the moralist does not explain events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-lefebvre/the-moralist-must-praise-heroism-and-condemn-cruelty-but-the-moralist/) Georges Lefebvre > [ Sir, he \[Bolingbroke\] was a scoundrel and a coward: a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and morality; a coward, because he had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/sir-he-bolingbroke-was-a-scoundrel-and-a-coward-a-scoundrel-for/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“It has been my lot to have found myself in many distant lands. I have never been in one without finding a Scotchman, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/it-has-been-my-lot-to-have-found-myself-in-many-distant-lands-i-have/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [In all my travels I never met with any one Scotchman but what was a man of sense: I believe everybody of that country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-lockier/in-all-my-travels-i-never-met-with-any-one-scotchman-but-what-was-a/) Francis Lockier > [Large offers and sturdy rejections are among the most common topics of falsehood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/large-offers-and-sturdy-rejections-are-among-the-most-common-topics/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Incredible to think isn't it, that every single Scotsman, started off as a scotch egg. Old and gingery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-jones/incredible-to-think-isn-t-it-that-every-single-scotsman-started-off/) [Milton Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-jones/) > [England Their England by AG Macdonell which was written in the thirties and is about a young Scotsman who's got shell shocked during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hislop/england-their-england-by-ag-macdonell-which-was-written-in-the/) [Ian Hislop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-hislop/) > [“If Scotsmen truly didn't wear anything under their kilts, she bet his equipment was frozen solid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vonnie-davis/if-scotsmen-truly-didn-t-wear-anything-under-their-kilts-she-bet-his/) [Vonnie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vonnie-davis/) > [Three Scotsmen of the clan McKay were looking for a fourth member to fight four members of the Irish clan Magee ... 'I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winsor-mccay/three-scotsmen-of-the-clan-mckay-were-looking-for-a-fourth-member-to/) [Winsor McCay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winsor-mccay/) > [“Scotsmen are not the type to back down easily, even if an Amazonian bisexual is screaming for compliance and threatening death by green fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-michael-schwarz/scotsmen-are-not-the-type-to-back-down-easily-even-if-an-amazonian/) A. Michael Schwarz > [I was born a Scotsman and a bare one. Therefore I was born to fight my way in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/i-was-born-a-scotsman-and-a-bare-one-therefore-i-was-born-to-fight-my/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [An Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman were invited to a Christmas party. The Englishman brought a bag of tinsel, the Scotsman brought a bag of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/an-englishman-irishman-and-scotsman-were-invited-to-a-christmas-party/) [Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/) > [In the year of our Lord 1314. Patriots of Scotland, starving and outnumbered, charged the fields of Bannockburn. They fought like warrior poets. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wallace/in-the-year-of-our-lord-1314-patriots-of-scotland-starving-and/) [William Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wallace/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. 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The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. 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