--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do you suppose that I should have lived…" description: "\"Do you suppose that I should have lived as long as I have if I had moved in the sphere of public life, and conducting myself in that sphere like an hon..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/socrates-405_causes_do-you-suppose-that-i-should-have-lived_1254060.jpg" --- # Do you suppose that I should have lived as long as I have… ![“Do you suppose that I should have lived as long as I have if I had moved in the sphere of public life, and conducting myself in that sphere like an honorable man, had always upheld the cause of right, and conscientiously set this end above all other things? Not by a very long way, gentlemen…” quote by Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/socrates-405_causes_do-you-suppose-that-i-should-have-lived_1254060.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/socrates-405_causes_do-you-suppose-that-i-should-have-lived_1254060.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/socrates-405_causes_do-you-suppose-that-i-should-have-lived_1254060.jpg) > “Do you suppose that I should have lived as long as I have if I had moved in the sphere of public life, and conducting myself in that sphere like an honorable man, had always upheld the cause of right, and conscientiously set this end above all other things? Not by a very long way, gentlemen; neither would any other man.” [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questions whether a virtuous public life guarantees longevity. **In simple terms:** Virtue doesn't ensure long life. Key Takeaway Value integrity over lifespan. Themes ethics politics mortality Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political career - activism - personal health Key Concepts virtue ethics public service Questions to Reflect On - Is a good life measured by length or quality? - Can one be virtuous without public recognition? A Different Perspective Longevity depends on many factors beyond virtue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Conducting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conducting/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Gentleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentleman/) [Honorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honorable/) [Honorable man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honorable-man/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lived Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lived-long/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-way/) [Man Upheld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-upheld-3962430/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Public life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-life/) [Right Conscientiously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-conscientiously-3962428/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) [Spheres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spheres/) [Upheld Cause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upheld-cause-3962429/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I have lived long enough to learn how much there is I can really do without… He is nearest to God who needs the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-have-lived-long-enough-to-learn-how-much-there-is-i-can-really-do/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Well, I think a handshake is something that honorable men do. Before we had contracts we had handshakes that expressed that we were making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/well-i-think-a-handshake-is-something-that-honorable-men-do-before-we/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Every post is honourable in which a man can serve his country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/every-post-is-honourable-in-which-a-man-can-serve-his-country/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“A man worth being with is one… That never lies to you Is kind to people that have hurt him A person that respects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/a-man-worth-being-with-is-one-that-never-lies-to-you-is-kind-to/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I believe I am an honorable man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-ellis/i-believe-i-am-an-honorable-man/) [Joseph J. 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A good man will share his last morsel of food with others in need, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/a-good-man-will-never-harm-or-oppress-another-a-good-man-will-share/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“he realized he had inspired a sense of trust and indebtedness that would make it entirely impossible for an honorable man to attempt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-simonson/he-realized-he-had-inspired-a-sense-of-trust-and-indebtedness-that/) [Helen Simonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-simonson/) > [An honorable man or woman is one who is truthful; free from deceit; above cheating, lying, stealing, or any form of deception. An honorable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/an-honorable-man-or-woman-is-one-who-is-truthful-free-from-deceit/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“The Boss is an honorable man. After the Lord, the most godly person I've ever met." 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He guessed that she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/what-sort-of-man-could-you-love-for-a-lifetime-he-asked-her-she-was/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [Honorable men don’t settle for lives of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mansfield/honorable-men-don-t-settle-for-lives-of-regret/) [Stephen Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mansfield/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Anyone may be an honorable man, and yet write verse badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/anyone-may-be-an-honorable-man-and-yet-write-verse-badly/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) ## More by Socrates > [By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/by-all-means-marry-if-you-get-a-good-wife-you-ll-be-happy-if-you-get/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/falling-down-is-not-a-failure-failure-comes-when-you-stay-where-you/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Do not go through life like leaf blown from here to there believing whatever you are told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/do-not-go-through-life-like-leaf-blown-from-here-to-there-believing/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [If the whole world depends on today's youth, I can't see the world lasting another 100 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/if-the-whole-world-depends-on-today-s-youth-i-can-t-see-the-world/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“I only know, I know nothing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-only-know-i-know-nothing/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-cannot-teach-anybody-anything-i-can-only-make-them-think/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [If measure and symmetry are absent from any composition in any degree, ruin awaits both the ingredients and the composition... 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Or, marry a bad, and become a good philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/marry-a-good-woman-and-be-happy-the-rest-of-your-life-or-marry-a-bad/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“For the fear of death is indeed the pretense of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being a pretense of knowing the unknown; and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/for-the-fear-of-death-is-indeed-the-pretense-of-wisdom-and-not-real/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [There is no difference between knowledge and temperance; for he who knows what is good and embraces it, who knows what is bad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/there-is-no-difference-between-knowledge-and-temperance-for-he-who/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Besides, it is a shame to let yourself grow old through neglect before seeing how you can develop the maximum beauty and strength of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/besides-it-is-a-shame-to-let-yourself-grow-old-through-neglect-before/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-greatest-blessing-granted-to-mankind-come-by-way-of-madness-which/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [I desire only to know the truth, and to live as well as I can...And, to the utmost of my power, I exhort all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-desire-only-to-know-the-truth-and-to-live-as-well-as-i-can-and-to/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [So you would rather suffer an injustice than do an injustice?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/so-you-would-rather-suffer-an-injustice-than-do-an-injustice/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [The end of life is to be like unto God; and the soul following God, will be like unto Him; He being the beginning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-end-of-life-is-to-be-like-unto-god-and-the-soul-following-god/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) [Explore all 579 Socrates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) ## More Causes quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. 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Well, roll my breakfast cause I'm a hungry man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-joe-turner/get-out-from-that-kitchen-and-rattle-those-pots-and-pans-well-roll-my/) [Big Joe Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-joe-turner/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/) [Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/) > [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [I don't wear rubbers cause you can't catch it twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-don-t-wear-rubbers-cause-you-can-t-catch-it-twice/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Well the first time I performed, my mom was like how she is now when sees me on stage – all red, smiling from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/well-the-first-time-i-performed-my-mom-was-like-how-she-is-now-when/) [Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/) > [I love a lot of things, a whole lot of things / Like / My cousin comes to visit and you know he's from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloise-greenfield/i-love-a-lot-of-things-a-whole-lot-of-things-like-my-cousin-comes-to/) [Eloise Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloise-greenfield/) > [Many companies have long contended that stress in the home causes productivity loss in the market place.. and it does. 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