--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If only the good were a little less…" description: "\"If only the good were a little less heavy-footed\" — W. Somerset Maugham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/w-somerset-maugham-237_heavy_if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heav_59182.jpg" --- # If only the good were a little less heavy-footed ![“If only the good were a little less heavy-footed” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/w-somerset-maugham-237_heavy_if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heav_59182.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/w-somerset-maugham-237_heavy_if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heav_59182.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/w-somerset-maugham-237_heavy_if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heav_59182.jpg) > “If only the good were a little less heavy-footed” [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A wish that virtuous people were less burdensome, implying that moral excellence can feel oppressive or demanding. **In simple terms:** Desires lighter virtue Key Takeaway Virtue can be taxing Themes morality burden human nature imperfection balance Mood contemplative melancholic Type aphorism philosophical When to use this quote - seeking mentors - navigating moral dilemmas - working with idealists - self-reflection on standards Key Concepts ethical expectations personal freedom Practical Applications - ethical leadership - personal development Questions to Reflect On - How does striving for goodness affect your well‑being? - When might moral rigor become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Virtue can also inspire and uplift, not just weigh down. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Footed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/footed-812589/) [Good Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-little-382619/) [Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy/) [Heavy Footed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy-footed-812587/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Little Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-heavy-812588/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) ## Related quotes > [I live very normally, I go out with my friends, we go to the movies, I queue, we go to restaurants. Then if something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-deneuve/i-live-very-normally-i-go-out-with-my-friends-we-go-to-the-movies-i/) [Catherine Deneuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-deneuve/) > [I wasn't good enough. I had a little talent but not enough. There is nothing more discouraging than having just a little talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamunde-pilcher/i-wasn-t-good-enough-i-had-a-little-talent-but-not-enough-there-is/) [Rosamunde Pilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamunde-pilcher/) > [Two-footed players always get a lot more recognition, so I always practised as a kid with my right foot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/two-footed-players-always-get-a-lot-more-recognition-so-i-always/) [John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/) > [I'm right footed, but I don't have a right foot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brooker/i-m-right-footed-but-i-don-t-have-a-right-foot/) [Alex Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-brooker/) > [Even as a kid, I'd kick a tennis ball against a wall with both feet for hours. That was one way to become two-footed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-forlan/even-as-a-kid-i-d-kick-a-tennis-ball-against-a-wall-with-both-feet/) [Diego Forlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-forlan/) > [I'm left-footed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ousmane-dembele/i-m-left-footed/) [Ousmane Dembele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ousmane-dembele/) > [I don't pay attention to which foot I'm developing. I just train normally and use both feet. I'd say I'm right-footed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santi-cazorla/i-don-t-pay-attention-to-which-foot-i-m-developing-i-just-train/) [Santi Cazorla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santi-cazorla/) > [I want to go about like the light-footed goats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-spyri/i-want-to-go-about-like-the-light-footed-goats/) [Johanna Spyri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-spyri/) > [At worst, is not this an unjust world, full of nothing but beasts of prey, four-footed or two-footed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/at-worst-is-not-this-an-unjust-world-full-of-nothing-but-beasts-of/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [I won't jump two-footed into something without really thinking about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/i-won-t-jump-two-footed-into-something-without-really-thinking-about/) [John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/) > [I would love to be naturally both-footed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-bellingham/i-would-love-to-be-naturally-both-footed/) [Jude Bellingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-bellingham/) > [It's good to have a little bit of pain here and there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erling-haaland/it-s-good-to-have-a-little-bit-of-pain-here-and-there/) [Erling Haaland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erling-haaland/) > [Too much is bad, some is good, too little is poor..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/too-much-is-bad-some-is-good-too-little-is-poor/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [It's good to put yourself out there a little bit and challenge yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-pegula/it-s-good-to-put-yourself-out-there-a-little-bit-and-challenge/) [Jessica Pegula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-pegula/) > [I was a good little boy and a good student. I've never been arrested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-was-a-good-little-boy-and-a-good-student-i-ve-never-been-arrested/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) ## More by W. Somerset Maugham > [“A man thinks it quite natural that he should fall out of love with a woman, but it never strikes him for a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-thinks-it-quite-natural-that-he-should-fall-out-of-love-with-a/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“A man's work reveals him. In social intercourse he gives you the surface that he wishes the world to accept, but in his book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-s-work-reveals-him-in-social-intercourse-he-gives-you-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/love-is-only-a-dirty-trick-played-on-us-to-achieve-continuation-of/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-world-is-hard-and-cruel-we-are-here-none-knows-why-and-we-go-none/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“There is no more merit in having read a thousand books than in having ploughed a thousand fields.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-is-no-more-merit-in-having-read-a-thousand-books-than-in-having/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“I wanted to live again and again. I was willing to accept every sort of life, no matter what its pain and sorrow; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-wanted-to-live-again-and-again-i-was-willing-to-accept-every-sort/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/in-hollywood-the-women-are-all-peaches-it-makes-one-long-for-an-apple/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman round the corner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/follow-your-inclinations-with-due-regard-to-the-policeman-round-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“His love became a prison from which he longed to escape, but he had not the strength merely to open the door-that was all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/his-love-became-a-prison-from-which-he-longed-to-escape-but-he-had/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-did-not-believe-him-capable-of-love-that-is-an-emotion-in-which/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/perfection-has-one-grave-defect-it-is-apt-to-be-dull/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“A God that can be understood is no God. Who can explain the Infinite in words?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-god-that-can-be-understood-is-no-god-who-can-explain-the-infinite/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“My dear, you used to be quite a dish; now you're quite a tureen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/my-dear-you-used-to-be-quite-a-dish-now-you-re-quite-a-tureen/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“When people say they do not care what others thing of them, for the most part they deceive themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/when-people-say-they-do-not-care-what-others-thing-of-them-for-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The audience is a very curious animal. It is shrewd rather than intelligent. Its mental capacity is less than that of its most intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-audience-is-a-very-curious-animal-it-is-shrewd-rather-than/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) [Explore all 840 W. Somerset Maugham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## More Heavy quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [Since a camera is something too heavy for women and initially made for men, you need a good cameraman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitra-farahani/since-a-camera-is-something-too-heavy-for-women-and-initially-made/) [Mitra Farahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitra-farahani/) > [He really is terribly heavy going. Like running up hill in roller skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ayckbourn/he-really-is-terribly-heavy-going-like-running-up-hill-in-roller/) [Alan Ayckbourn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ayckbourn/) > [Faith, like a guillotine. As heavy, as light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/faith-like-a-guillotine-as-heavy-as-light/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [If you played 'Heavy Rain,' there are very few cutscenes and very few moments where you don't have control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cage/if-you-played-heavy-rain-there-are-very-few-cutscenes-and-very-few/) [David Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cage/) > [There have been times when a particularly heavy dose of such cynicism has caused me to reflect that surely this is the age and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/there-have-been-times-when-a-particularly-heavy-dose-of-such-cynicism/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [My mom is two people to me. She's my mom number one, and then she's this lady most comedians know as being a legendary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauly-shore/my-mom-is-two-people-to-me-she-s-my-mom-number-one-and-then-she-s/) [Pauly Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauly-shore/) > [She's the quiet type who's into heavy metal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/she-s-the-quiet-type-who-s-into-heavy-metal/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Jesus was the poorest of the poor. Roman Catholicism, which claims to be His church, is the richest of the rich, the wealthiest institution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avro-manhattan/jesus-was-the-poorest-of-the-poor-roman-catholicism-which-claims-to/) [Avro Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avro-manhattan/) > [I played Iris Murdoch, who had not long died, and I felt the responsibility very heavy on my shoulders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/i-played-iris-murdoch-who-had-not-long-died-and-i-felt-the/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Fame is very heavy. When there are large crowds, I'm unable to handle it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/fame-is-very-heavy-when-there-are-large-crowds-i-m-unable-to-handle-it/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [It's like when we get the transformer movies. It was all a bunch of smaller robot pieces and then you're on set, and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-nicotero/it-s-like-when-we-get-the-transformer-movies-it-was-all-a-bunch-of/) [Gregory Nicotero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-nicotero/) [Browse all 2,502 Heavy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If only the good were a little less heavy-footed", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. 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