--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A person may be greedy, envious…" description: "\"A person may be greedy, envious, cowardly, cold, ungenerous, unkind, vain, or conceited, but behave perfectly by a monumental act of the will.\" — Thoma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/thomas-nagel-9440_action_a-person-may-be-greedy-envious-cowardly_1589479.jpg" --- # A person may be greedy, envious, cowardly, cold… ![“A person may be greedy, envious, cowardly, cold, ungenerous, unkind, vain, or conceited, but behave perfectly by a monumental act of the will.” quote by Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/thomas-nagel-9440_action_a-person-may-be-greedy-envious-cowardly_1589479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/thomas-nagel-9440_action_a-person-may-be-greedy-envious-cowardly_1589479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/thomas-nagel-9440_action_a-person-may-be-greedy-envious-cowardly_1589479.jpg) > “A person may be greedy, envious, cowardly, cold, ungenerous, unkind, vain, or conceited, but behave perfectly by a monumental act of the will.” [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even flawed people can act morally through deliberate willpower, transcending negative traits. **In simple terms:** Willpower enables moral behavior. Key Takeaway Cultivate strong will. Themes ethics willpower human nature Mood thoughtful challenging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - decision making - leadership - conflict resolution - personal growth Key Concepts moral philosophy self‑control Questions to Reflect On - What actions demonstrate moral will? - How does willpower interact with character? A Different Perspective Willpower alone may not overcome deep‑seated biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) [Behave Perfectly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave-perfectly-3932005/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Conceited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceited/) [Conceited Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceited-behave-6020730/) [Cowardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowardly/) [Envious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envious/) [Envious Cowardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envious-cowardly-6020729/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Greedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greedy/) [Greedy Envious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greedy-envious-2463901/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Person Greedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-greedy-2759414/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Unkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unkind/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) ## Related quotes > [I am a person who is greedy to do better in life, to do more in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/i-am-a-person-who-is-greedy-to-do-better-in-life-to-do-more-in-life/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [You know what's the worst part about being an actress? 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