--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Remember that it is nothing to do your…" description: "\"Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is demanded of you and is no more meritorious than to wash your hands when they are dirty; the only t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/w-somerset-maugham-237_dirty_remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-d_668392.jpg" --- # Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is… ![“Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is demanded of you and is no more meritorious than to wash your hands when they are dirty; the only thing that counts is the love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding.” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/w-somerset-maugham-237_dirty_remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-d_668392.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/w-somerset-maugham-237_dirty_remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-d_668392.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/w-somerset-maugham-237_dirty_remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-d_668392.jpg) > “Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is demanded of you and is no more meritorious than to wash your hands when they are dirty; the only thing that counts is the love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding.” [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. True fulfillment comes from loving one's duty, not merely performing it; when duty and love merge, inner grace and profound happiness arise. **In simple terms:** Love your duty, not just do it. Key Takeaway Let love guide your responsibilities. Themes duty love inner peace fulfillment Mood contemplative inspired hopeful Type philosophical motivational spiritual When to use this quote - career - volunteering - family obligations - personal projects - caregiving Key Concepts existentialism ethics spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate love for a task that feels burdensome? - What does grace feel like in daily work? A Different Perspective If duty feels forced, love may not develop naturally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [The present is the only time in which any duty may be done or grace received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-present-is-the-only-time-in-which-any-duty-may-be-done-or-grace/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Be brave! Let’s remember our duty and perform it without complaint. There will be a way out. God has never deserted our people. Through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/be-brave-let-s-remember-our-duty-and-perform-it-without-complaint/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/because-i-remember-i-despair-because-i-remember-i-have-the-duty-to/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“We must always remember that duty reminds us we are stewards of all that our Creator has entrusted to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/we-must-always-remember-that-duty-reminds-us-we-are-stewards-of-all/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [We must remember our duty to Nature before it is too late. That duty is constant. It is never completed. It lives on as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/we-must-remember-our-duty-to-nature-before-it-is-too-late-that-duty/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The most difficult challenge an honest man will ever face is having to choose between duty and love. One creates a man of honorable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-goodrich/the-most-difficult-challenge-an-honest-man-will-ever-face-is-having/) [Richelle Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-goodrich/) > [I exist not to be loved and admired, but to love and act. It is not the duty of those around me to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janusz-korczak/i-exist-not-to-be-loved-and-admired-but-to-love-and-act-it-is-not-the/) [Janusz Korczak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janusz-korczak/) > [Love can flourish only as long as it is free and spontaneous; it tends to be killed by the thought of duty. To say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/love-can-flourish-only-as-long-as-it-is-free-and-spontaneous-it-tends/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Our duty is to love each other. I have no problem with that, and I've never had a problem to love my enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-niazi/our-duty-is-to-love-each-other-i-have-no-problem-with-that-and-i-ve/) [Daniel Niazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-niazi/) > [“But my family I had always had a duty to love, no matter how they had wronged me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamund-hodge/but-my-family-i-had-always-had-a-duty-to-love-no-matter-how-they-had/) [Rosamund Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamund-hodge/) > [To be loved is a Success. To love is a Duty. To be with someone you love is an Achievement. To be with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/to-be-loved-is-a-success-to-love-is-a-duty-to-be-with-someone-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [The fist duty to love is to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheya/the-fist-duty-to-love-is-to-listen/) [SHEYA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheya/) > [Love can only flourish as long as it is free and spontaneous; it tends to be killed by the thought that it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/love-can-only-flourish-as-long-as-it-is-free-and-spontaneous-it-tends/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I know of only one duty, and that is to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-know-of-only-one-duty-and-that-is-to-love/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## 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/) > [If only the good were a little less heavy-footed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heavy-footed/) [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/) [Explore all 840 W. Somerset Maugham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## More Dirty quotes > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) Deon Taylor > [Whenever we touch nature we get clean. People who have got dirty through too much civilization take a walk in the woods, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/whenever-we-touch-nature-we-get-clean-people-who-have-got-dirty/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [Who gets to be best-liked in any community? Who is the most trusted? Why, the man who does the dirty job, of course, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/who-gets-to-be-best-liked-in-any-community-who-is-the-most-trusted/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Dont ever wrestle with a pig u'll both get dirty but the pig will enj0y it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udechukwu-d0navan/dont-ever-wrestle-with-a-pig-u-ll-both-get-dirty-but-the-pig-will/) Udechukwu D0navan > [I remember being a kid and seeing the 'National Inquirer' at the grocery store checkout line. When somebody actually picked up a copy, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/i-remember-being-a-kid-and-seeing-the-national-inquirer-at-the/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [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/) > [Staring at the blank page before you, Open up the dirty window, Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-bedingfield/staring-at-the-blank-page-before-you-open-up-the-dirty-window-let-the/) [Natasha Bedingfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-bedingfield/) > [I'm supportive of women, absolutely, and it's so gratifying to have girls come up and say, 'I'm really inspired by your guitar playing.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-m-supportive-of-women-absolutely-and-it-s-so-gratifying-to-have/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [“She's not the enemy. She's just a dirty fighter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarryn-fisher/she-s-not-the-enemy-she-s-just-a-dirty-fighter/) [Tarryn Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarryn-fisher/) > [Mr. Bumpy from Bump in the Night was this funky little guy who lived under the bed and thought eating dust bunnies was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/mr-bumpy-from-bump-in-the-night-was-this-funky-little-guy-who-lived/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [My hair is naturally blond and thin, so I like to give it some texture. Sexy, dirty bedhead is good for blonds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malin-akerman/my-hair-is-naturally-blond-and-thin-so-i-like-to-give-it-some-texture/) [Malin Akerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malin-akerman/) > [Good guys need to be a little dirty otherwise they're just boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/good-guys-need-to-be-a-little-dirty-otherwise-they-re-just-boring/) [Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) Browse all 1,999 Dirty quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is demanded of you and is no more meritorious than to wash your hands when they are dirty; the only thing that counts is the love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. Somerset Maugham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-duty-that-is-demanded-of-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dirty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-duty-that-is-demanded-of-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/w-somerset-maugham-237_dirty_remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-d_668392.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/w-somerset-maugham-237_dirty_remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-d_668392.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/w-somerset-maugham-237_dirty_remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-d_668392.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is demanded of you and is no more meritorious than to wash…” — W. Somerset Maugham", "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": "W. Somerset Maugham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Remember that it is nothing to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-duty-that-is-demanded-of-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/remember-that-it-is-nothing-to-do-your-duty-that-is-demanded-of-you/#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 } } ] } ```