--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Venerable to me is the hard…" description: "\"Venerable to me is the hard hand,--crooked, coarse,--wherein, notwithstanding, lies a cunning virtue, indispensably royal as of the sceptre of the plan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/thomas-carlyle-207_character_venerable-to-me-is-the-hard-hand-crooked_1723938.png" --- # Venerable to me is the hard hand,--crooked… ![“Venerable to me is the hard hand,--crooked, coarse,--wherein, notwithstanding, lies a cunning virtue, indispensably royal as of the sceptre of the planet.” quote by Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/thomas-carlyle-207_character_venerable-to-me-is-the-hard-hand-crooked_1723938.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/thomas-carlyle-207_character_venerable-to-me-is-the-hard-hand-crooked_1723938.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/thomas-carlyle-207_character_venerable-to-me-is-the-hard-hand-crooked_1723938.png) > “Venerable to me is the hard hand,--crooked, coarse,--wherein, notwithstanding, lies a cunning virtue, indispensably royal as of the sceptre of the planet.” [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. A hard, imperfect hand can possess a noble virtue essential to the world’s order. **In simple terms:** Roughness can hide essential noble virtue. Key Takeaway Value hidden strengths despite flaws. Themes virtue imperfection authority Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - political leadership - personal growth - ethical decisions Key Concepts moral philosophy leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern virtue in harsh leaders? - Can imperfection coexist with authority? A Different Perspective Hardness may be mistaken for cruelty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [There's no better sign of a brave mind than a hard hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/there-s-no-better-sign-of-a-brave-mind-than-a-hard-hand/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [They accuse me of having a hard hand, but people closest to me know that is not the nature of my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-borge/they-accuse-me-of-having-a-hard-hand-but-people-closest-to-me-know/) [Tomas Borge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-borge/) > [Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/most-men-even-in-this-comparatively-free-country-through-mere/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It didn’t and doesn’t turn out well. 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