--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ability is all right but if it is not…" description: "\"Ability is all right but if it is not backed up by honesty and public confidence you will never be a successful person. The best a man can do is to arr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/081/will-rogers-272_ability_ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-ba_1045703.jpg" --- # Ability is all right but if it is not backed up by honesty… ![“Ability is all right but if it is not backed up by honesty and public confidence you will never be a successful person. The best a man can do is to arrive at the top in his chosen profession. I have always maintained that one profession is deserving of as much honor as another provided it is…” quote by Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/081/will-rogers-272_ability_ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-ba_1045703.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/081/will-rogers-272_ability_ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-ba_1045703.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/081/will-rogers-272_ability_ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-ba_1045703.jpg) > “Ability is all right but if it is not backed up by honesty and public confidence you will never be a successful person. The best a man can do is to arrive at the top in his chosen profession. I have always maintained that one profession is deserving of as much honor as another provided it is honorable.” [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Integrity and public trust are essential for lasting success; honor should be equal across professions. **In simple terms:** Honesty and trust are key to success. Key Takeaway Prioritize integrity over status. Themes ethics trust professionalism honor equality Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - business leadership - public service - academic careers Key Concepts moral philosophy social capital reputation management Questions to Reflect On - How can organizations enforce ethical standards? - What role does public perception play in career advancement? A Different Perspective Success without integrity is hollow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-person/) ## Related quotes > [“Nothing is worth the loss of one's conscience, or the ability to do what is right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-morgan/nothing-is-worth-the-loss-of-one-s-conscience-or-the-ability-to-do/) [Kathleen Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-morgan/) > [Have confidence in your ability to do it right, and work hard to do the best possible job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/have-confidence-in-your-ability-to-do-it-right-and-work-hard-to-do/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [If initiative is the ability to do the right thing, then efficiency is the ability to do the thing right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-miller/if-initiative-is-the-ability-to-do-the-right-thing-then-efficiency-is/) [Kelly Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-miller/) > [Courage is the ability to do the right thing, all the time, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/courage-is-the-ability-to-do-the-right-thing-all-the-time-no-matter/) [Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/) > [“That no matter what happens, loving someone to the best of your ability is the right thing to do. It's the only thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-de-los-santos/that-no-matter-what-happens-loving-someone-to-the-best-of-your/) [Marisa de los Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisa-de-los-santos/) > [Slavery destroys, or vitiates, or pollutes, whatever it touches. No interest of society escapes the influence of its clinging curse. It makes Southern religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hinton-rowan-helper/slavery-destroys-or-vitiates-or-pollutes-whatever-it-touches-no/) [Hinton Rowan Helper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hinton-rowan-helper/) > [We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity: If you’ve got ambition and smarts, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/we-live-in-an-age-of-unprecedented-opportunity-if-you-ve-got-ambition/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [People always overestimate how complex business is. This isn't rocket science. We've chosen one of the world's simplest professions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/people-always-overestimate-how-complex-business-is-this-isn-t-rocket/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [How do we handle adversity? Adversity is going to be with us in everything that we do, almost in every facet of our lives-in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/how-do-we-handle-adversity-adversity-is-going-to-be-with-us-in/) [LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/) > [The soul must have its chosen sewers to carry away its ordure. This function is performed by persons, relationships, professions, the fatherland, the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-soul-must-have-its-chosen-sewers-to-carry-away-its-ordure-this/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I am for peace and all kinds of ways because the total reality is that you never quite, at least in my experience, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/i-am-for-peace-and-all-kinds-of-ways-because-the-total-reality-is/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) > [In my career I have had many wonderful things happen to me, many more than I ever dreamed would ever happen. But I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/in-my-career-i-have-had-many-wonderful-things-happen-to-me-many-more/) [LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/) > [Students generally have very little idea of the world they are entering into, and their teachers - like parents - are viewed as beings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-bantjes/students-generally-have-very-little-idea-of-the-world-they-are/) Marian Bantjes > [People are at their happiest if they are true to themselves. I think that applies to their chosen profession, friends and relationships. It goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-neuwirth/people-are-at-their-happiest-if-they-are-true-to-themselves-i-think/) [Bebe Neuwirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-neuwirth/) > [Remember, success is not measured by heights attained but by obstacles overcome. We're going to pass through many obstacles in our lives: good days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-jenner/remember-success-is-not-measured-by-heights-attained-but-by-obstacles/) [Bruce Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-jenner/) ## More by Will Rogers > [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [American invents everything, but the trouble is we get tired of it the minute the new is wore off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/american-invents-everything-but-the-trouble-is-we-get-tired-of-it-the/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't know what humor is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-know-what-humor-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two things I don't care how smart you are, you will never understand. One is an alienist's testimony, and the other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-things-i-don-t-care-how-smart-you-are-you-will-never/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-observe-politics-the-more-you-ve-got-to-admit-that-each/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. You've got to work on his conscience. And his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-think-you-can-make-a-lawyer-honest-by-an-act-of-legislature/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-theories-to-arguing-with-a-woman-neither-works/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [America is a great country, but you can't live in it for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/america-is-a-great-country-but-you-can-t-live-in-it-for-nothing/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-ought-to-be-one-day-just-one-when-there-is-open-season-on/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Every Gag I tell must be based on truth. No matter how much I may exaggerate it, it must have a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/every-gag-i-tell-must-be-based-on-truth-no-matter-how-much-i-may/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/so-live-that-you-would-not-mind-selling-your-pet-parrot-to-the-town/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Explore all 776 Will Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ability is all right but if it is not backed up by honesty and public confidence you will never be a successful person. The best a man can do is to arrive at the top in his chosen profession. I have always maintained that one profession is deserving of as much honor as another provided it is honorable.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Will Rogers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-backed-up-by-honesty-and-public/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-backed-up-by-honesty-and-public/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/081/will-rogers-272_ability_ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-ba_1045703.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/081/will-rogers-272_ability_ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-ba_1045703.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/081/will-rogers-272_ability_ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-ba_1045703.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ability is all right but if it is not backed up by honesty and public confidence you will never be a…” — Will Rogers", "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": "Will Rogers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ability is all right but if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-backed-up-by-honesty-and-public/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/ability-is-all-right-but-if-it-is-not-backed-up-by-honesty-and-public/#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 } } ] } ```