--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be a saint is the exception; to be an…" description: "\"“To be a saint is the exception; to be an upright man is the rule. Err, fall, sin if you will, but be upright.”\" — Victor Hugo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/victor-hugo-32_integrity_to-be-a-saint-is-the-exception-to-be-an_2916727.jpg" --- # To be a saint is the exception; to be an upright man is… ![“To be a saint is the exception; to be an upright man is the rule. Err, fall, sin if you will, but be upright.” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/victor-hugo-32_integrity_to-be-a-saint-is-the-exception-to-be-an_2916727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/victor-hugo-32_integrity_to-be-a-saint-is-the-exception-to-be-an_2916727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/victor-hugo-32_integrity_to-be-a-saint-is-the-exception-to-be-an_2916727.jpg) > ““To be a saint is the exception; to be an upright man is the rule. Err, fall, sin if you will, but be upright.”” [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uprightness is the common moral path; saintliness is rare. **In simple terms:** Being honest is normal, saintliness is rare. Key Takeaway Aim for integrity daily. Themes morality integrity human nature Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership - community building Key Concepts ethical behavior virtue character Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance honesty with social expectations? - What does “saint” mean to you? A Different Perspective Uprightness may be socially costly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Upright man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upright-man/) ## Related quotes > [“To be a saint is to be an exception; to be a true man is the rule. Err, fail, sin if you must, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/to-be-a-saint-is-to-be-an-exception-to-be-a-true-man-is-the-rule-err/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [To be a saint is the exception; to be a just person is the rule. Err, stumble, commit sin, but be one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/to-be-a-saint-is-the-exception-to-be-a-just-person-is-the-rule-err/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Man has a body which is at once his burden and his temptation. He drags it along, and yields to it. ‘He ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/man-has-a-body-which-is-at-once-his-burden-and-his-temptation-he/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The truth of an upright man must be accepted on his own terms. Moreover, since natures vary, we must agree that all the beauties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-truth-of-an-upright-man-must-be-accepted-on-his-own-terms/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [A man should be upright, not kept upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/a-man-should-be-upright-not-kept-upright/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Such, Echecrates, was the end of our comrade, who was, we may fairly say, of all those whom we knew in our time, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/such-echecrates-was-the-end-of-our-comrade-who-was-we-may-fairly-say/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“We subdue that in others which we have learned to subdue in ourselves. Around the upright man there is drawn a wide circle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-maeterlinck/we-subdue-that-in-others-which-we-have-learned-to-subdue-in-ourselves/) [Maurice Maeterlinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-maeterlinck/) > [Some, it seems to me, elect their rulers for their crookedness. 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B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/as-long-as-there-is-one-upright-man-as-long-as-there-is-one/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [“Man is not only that creature that forges tools, that reasons, and that walks upright. Man is the creature that looks up. Man praises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-esolen/man-is-not-only-that-creature-that-forges-tools-that-reasons-and-that/) [Anthony Esolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-esolen/) > [people who pay greater respect to a wealthy villain than to an honest, upright man in poverty, almost deserve to be enslaved; they plainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hancock/people-who-pay-greater-respect-to-a-wealthy-villain-than-to-an-honest/) [John Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hancock/) > [For this is the mark of a wise and upright man, not to rail against the gods in misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/for-this-is-the-mark-of-a-wise-and-upright-man-not-to-rail-against/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) ## More by Victor Hugo > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“First I loved women, then animals, and now I love stones. They're just as amusing as women and animals and they're much less trecherous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/first-i-loved-women-then-animals-and-now-i-love-stones-they-re-just/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/have-courage-for-the-great-sorrows-of-life-and-patience-for-the-small/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The peasants of the Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one pup that is killed by the mother for fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-peasants-of-the-asturias-believe-that-in-every-litter-of-wolves/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Great blunders are often made, like large ropes, of a multitude of fibres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/great-blunders-are-often-made-like-large-ropes-of-a-multitude-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“For love is like a tree; it grows of itself; it send its roots deep into our being, and often continues to grow green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/for-love-is-like-a-tree-it-grows-of-itself-it-send-its-roots-deep/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Blacheville smiles with the self-satisfied smugness of a man whose vanity is tickled”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/blacheville-smiles-with-the-self-satisfied-smugness-of-a-man-whose/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Loving in ignorance, she loved with all the more passion. She did not know whether it was good or evil, beneficent or dangerous, necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/loving-in-ignorance-she-loved-with-all-the-more-passion-she-did-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/laughter-is-the-sun-that-drives-winter-from-the-human-face/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Our joys have shadows. The perfect smile belongs to God alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/our-joys-have-shadows-the-perfect-smile-belongs-to-god-alone/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“When those we love are in question, our prudence invents every sort of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/when-those-we-love-are-in-question-our-prudence-invents-every-sort-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Love is a fault; so be it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-is-a-fault-so-be-it/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) [Explore all 2,181 Victor Hugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More Integrity quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [I can be taken away from myself quite easily, I kind of start betraying myself and compromising my integrity, to keep someone else happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-lou-wood/i-can-be-taken-away-from-myself-quite-easily-i-kind-of-start/) [Aimee Lou Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-lou-wood/) > [I take the responsibility of playing another ethnicity very, very seriously, and I promise myself and those people that I will represent them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-take-the-responsibility-of-playing-another-ethnicity-very-very/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [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/) > [The Kennedys have always represented a certain royal quality, Camelot, and they represent a great deal of integrity and strength and perseverance; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-slater/the-kennedys-have-always-represented-a-certain-royal-quality-camelot/) [Christian Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-slater/) > [We want to promote the great quality of athletics - and maintain it's integrity - all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-juantorena/we-want-to-promote-the-great-quality-of-athletics-and-maintain-it-s/) [Alberto Juantorena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-juantorena/) > [A man should be upright, not kept upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/a-man-should-be-upright-not-kept-upright/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Too much principle is often more harmful than too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/too-much-principle-is-often-more-harmful-than-too-little/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [The interesting thing is that everyone in golf is just nice. You learn a lot about people playing golf: their integrity, how they play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-interesting-thing-is-that-everyone-in-golf-is-just-nice-you-learn/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Don't worry so much about your self-esteem. Worry more about your character. Integrity is its own reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/don-t-worry-so-much-about-your-self-esteem-worry-more-about-your/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“We should remark the grace and fascination that there is even in the incidentals of Nature's processes.. When a loaf of bread,. for instance,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-should-remark-the-grace-and-fascination-that-there-is-even-in-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The reason I do small, independent movies is because I want to keep my soul intact and maintain some kind of integrity within this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-bell/the-reason-i-do-small-independent-movies-is-because-i-want-to-keep-my/) [Jamie Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-bell/) > [The 'key-log' which must be moved to release the evolutionary process for an ethic is simply this: quit thinking about decent land-use as solely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/land-ethic/the-key-log-which-must-be-moved-to-release-the-evolutionary-process/) Land ethic [Browse all 4,810 Integrity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To be a saint is the exception; to be an upright man is the rule. 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