--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Make yourself an honest man, and then you…" description: "\"“Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world.”\" — Thomas Carlyle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/thomas-carlyle-207_honest_make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you_2220186.png" --- # Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that… ![“Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world.” quote by Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/thomas-carlyle-207_honest_make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you_2220186.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/thomas-carlyle-207_honest_make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you_2220186.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/thomas-carlyle-207_honest_make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you_2220186.png) > ““Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world.”” [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being honest reduces the number of bad people in society. **In simple terms:** Honesty lessens scoundrels. Key Takeaway Live truthfully. Themes integrity society morality Mood reflective serious Type moral philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership - community building Key Concepts ethical behavior self‑control Questions to Reflect On - How does personal honesty affect those around you? - Can one be honest without being naive? A Different Perspective Honesty alone cannot change others' actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-man/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Make Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-honest-430805/) [Scoundrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scoundrel/) [Sure Scoundrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-scoundrel-4951305/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you-may-be-sure-there-is-one/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [“So, when are you gonna make an honest man out of Raymond?” The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santino-hassell/so-when-are-you-gonna-make-an-honest-man-out-of-raymond-the/) [Santino Hassell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santino-hassell/) > [I think music is honest and will make you do honest things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sza/i-think-music-is-honest-and-will-make-you-do-honest-things/) [SZA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sza/) > [I'm a human being and I will make mistakes from time to time but what I will say is that any mistakes I make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/i-m-a-human-being-and-i-will-make-mistakes-from-time-to-time-but-what/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I didn't want to sugarcoat anything. I wanted to make an honest story. Of course, to write a real autobiography, you've got to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superstar-billy-graham/i-didn-t-want-to-sugarcoat-anything-i-wanted-to-make-an-honest-story/) [Superstar Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/superstar-billy-graham/) > [I've always been able to get inside a song really easily, and if it's my song, I can make it seem honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/i-ve-always-been-able-to-get-inside-a-song-really-easily-and-if-it-s/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [Live life to make an honest difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivory/live-life-to-make-an-honest-difference/) [Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivory/) > [Hold on to your life and make it honest and brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eiji-yoshikawa/hold-on-to-your-life-and-make-it-honest-and-brave/) [Eiji Yoshikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eiji-yoshikawa/) > [Make a honest love to her, Moon and stars come by own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/make-a-honest-love-to-her-moon-and-stars-come-by-own/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Liars dont get second chances and secrets dont make friends. So open up and spill your guts. Be sure you make an honest mess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/liars-dont-get-second-chances-and-secrets-dont-make-friends-so-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I just always make honest music. I just always kinda do what I wanna do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-holter/i-just-always-make-honest-music-i-just-always-kinda-do-what-i-wanna-do/) [Julia Holter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-holter/) > [If you make an honest picture of war, it will be an antiwar photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/if-you-make-an-honest-picture-of-war-it-will-be-an-antiwar-photograph/) [James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/) > [“The Lord gave you a mind so that you can make honest use of it. I'm saying you must be sure that the doubts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/the-lord-gave-you-a-mind-so-that-you-can-make-honest-use-of-it-i-m/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [You need someone who can make you see yourself in an honest way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/you-need-someone-who-can-make-you-see-yourself-in-an-honest-way/) [Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/) ## More by Thomas Carlyle > [O thou that pinest in the imprisonment of the Actual, and criest bitterly to the gods for a kingdom wherein to rule and create,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/o-thou-that-pinest-in-the-imprisonment-of-the-actual-and-criest/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Whose school-hours are all the days and nights of our existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/whose-school-hours-are-all-the-days-and-nights-of-our-existence/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-sadder-proof-can-be-given-by-a-man-of-his-own-littleness-than/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Fame, we may understand, is no sure test of merit, but only a probability of such: it is an accident, not a property, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/fame-we-may-understand-is-no-sure-test-of-merit-but-only-a/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The sincere alone can recognize sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-sincere-alone-can-recognize-sincerity/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The glory of a workman, still more of a master workman, that he does his work well, ought to be his most precious possession;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-glory-of-a-workman-still-more-of-a-master-workman-that-he-does/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [All human things do require to have an ideal in them; to have some soul in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/all-human-things-do-require-to-have-an-ideal-in-them-to-have-some/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Insurrection, never so necessary, is a most sad necessity; and governors who wait for that to instruct them are surely getting into the fatalest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/insurrection-never-so-necessary-is-a-most-sad-necessity-and-governors/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [What is philosophy but a continual battle against custom?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/what-is-philosophy-but-a-continual-battle-against-custom/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Let Time and Chance combine, combine! Let Time and Chance combine! The fairest love from heaven above, That love of yours was mine, My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/let-time-and-chance-combine-combine-let-time-and-chance-combine-the/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Thought will not work except in silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/thought-will-not-work-except-in-silence/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The public is anold woman.Let her maunderand mumble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-public-is-anold-woman-let-her-maunderand-mumble/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Does not every true man feel that he is himself made higher by doing reverence to what is really above him?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/does-not-every-true-man-feel-that-he-is-himself-made-higher-by-doing/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The press is the fourth estate of the realm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-press-is-the-fourth-estate-of-the-realm/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) [Explore all 917 Thomas Carlyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) ## More Honest quotes > [How strong is a faith that can't stand up to a few honest questions?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-c-davis/how-strong-is-a-faith-that-can-t-stand-up-to-a-few-honest-questions/) [Kenneth C. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-c-davis/) > [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/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Tobacco is the passion of honest men and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/tobacco-is-the-passion-of-honest-men-and-he-who-lives-without-tobacco/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“RIGHT Do you do what feels right or what is seen right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-downer/right-do-you-do-what-feels-right-or-what-is-seen-right/) [Kitty Downer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-downer/) > [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I don't know - to be honest, I don't really model myself after anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-klattenhoff/i-don-t-know-to-be-honest-i-don-t-really-model-myself-after-anybody/) [Diego Klattenhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-klattenhoff/) > [There's a certain edge about cruelty. If you're honest about it, most people wince, but say it had to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-waterman/there-s-a-certain-edge-about-cruelty-if-you-re-honest-about-it-most/) [Pete Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-waterman/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [Honest people don't hide their deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/honest-people-don-t-hide-their-deeds/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [I used to not be really honest with girls and then I dropped a song called Starry Room and then I started turning over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-smith/i-used-to-not-be-really-honest-with-girls-and-then-i-dropped-a-song/) [Jaden Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-smith/) > [Fuck perfect, I want honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djsovviet/fuck-perfect-i-want-honest/) [Djsovviet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djsovviet/) > [If I'm honest, I think everything is funny. You've just got to find the right way in. When I'm at my happiest and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcintyre/if-i-m-honest-i-think-everything-is-funny-you-ve-just-got-to-find-the/) [Michael McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcintyre/) > [I think managers see that I am honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lallana/i-think-managers-see-that-i-am-honest/) [Adam Lallana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lallana/) [Browse all 7,016 Honest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Carlyle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you-may-be-sure-that-there-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Honest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you-may-be-sure-that-there-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/thomas-carlyle-207_honest_make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you_2220186.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/thomas-carlyle-207_honest_make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you_2220186.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/thomas-carlyle-207_honest_make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you_2220186.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world.” — Thomas Carlyle", "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": "Thomas Carlyle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Make yourself an honest man, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you-may-be-sure-that-there-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/make-yourself-an-honest-man-and-then-you-may-be-sure-that-there-is/#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 } } ] } ```