--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: reason tends to be the servant rather…" description: "\"“reason tends to be the servant rather than the master of desire.”\" — William B. Irvine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/william-b-irvine-29486_desire_reason-tends-to-be-the-servant-rather-th_821233.jpg" --- # reason tends to be the servant rather than the master of… ![“reason tends to be the servant rather than the master of desire.” quote by William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/william-b-irvine-29486_desire_reason-tends-to-be-the-servant-rather-th_821233.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/william-b-irvine-29486_desire_reason-tends-to-be-the-servant-rather-th_821233.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/william-b-irvine-29486_desire_reason-tends-to-be-the-servant-rather-th_821233.jpg) > ““reason tends to be the servant rather than the master of desire.”” [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reason should guide desire, not dominate it, ensuring balanced choices. **In simple terms:** Reason guides desire. Key Takeaway Let reason steer your wishes. Themes self‑control philosophy desire balance Mood thoughtful calm Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - personal decisions - career planning - relationship choices - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts Stoicism rationality autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice reasoning before acting? - When does desire outweigh reason? A Different Perspective Reason can be overridden by strong emotions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) ## Related quotes > [In the master there is a servant, in the servant a master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/in-the-master-there-is-a-servant-in-the-servant-a-master/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The manager is a servant. His master is the institution he manages and his first responsibility must therefore be to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/the-manager-is-a-servant-his-master-is-the-institution-he-manages-and/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [You must be either the servant or the master, the hammer or the anvil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/you-must-be-either-the-servant-or-the-master-the-hammer-or-the-anvil/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [In mathematics our role is more that of servant than master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hermite/in-mathematics-our-role-is-more-that-of-servant-than-master/) [Charles Hermite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hermite/) > [The most difficult master is the servant who became master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-most-difficult-master-is-the-servant-who-became-master/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Woman is the crown of all creation, but Man is the head who wears it, and even the servant is master in his house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/woman-is-the-crown-of-all-creation-but-man-is-the-head-who-wears-it/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [The master sometimes serves, and the servant sometimes is master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-master-sometimes-serves-and-the-servant-sometimes-is-master/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The federal government is our servant, not our master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-federal-government-is-our-servant-not-our-master/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [When passions and appetites are stronger than the intellect, men are savages; when the intellect governs the passions, when the passions are servants, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/when-passions-and-appetites-are-stronger-than-the-intellect-men-are/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) > [Laws are not masters but servants, and he rules them who obey them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/laws-are-not-masters-but-servants-and-he-rules-them-who-obey-them/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [In relations between the rich and the strong, between the rich and the poor, between the master and the servant, it's liberty that grinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-relations-between-the-rich-and-the-strong-between-the-rich-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Serve in the grace of strength within thy soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/serve-in-the-grace-of-strength-within-thy-soul/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) ## More by William B. Irvine > [“Pre-Socratic philosophy begins ... with the discovery of Nature; Socratic philosophy begins with the discovery of man's soul."3”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/pre-socratic-philosophy-begins-with-the-discovery-of-nature-socratic/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“According to Seneca, “A man is as wretched as he has convinced himself that he is.” He therefore recommends that we “do away with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/according-to-seneca-a-man-is-as-wretched-as-he-has-convinced-himself/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“For the Stoics, however, the near impossibility of becoming a sage is not a problem. They talk about sages primarily so they will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/for-the-stoics-however-the-near-impossibility-of-becoming-a-sage-is/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“Indeed, pursuing pleasure, Seneca warns, is like pursuing a wild beast: On being captured, it can turn on us and tear us to pieces.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/indeed-pursuing-pleasure-seneca-warns-is-like-pursuing-a-wild-beast/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“Your primary desire, says Epictetus, should be your desire not to be frustrated by forming desires you won’t be able to fulfill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/your-primary-desire-says-epictetus-should-be-your-desire-not-to-be/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“Whenever you undertake an activity in which public failure is a possibility, you are likely to experience butterflies in your stomach. I mentioned above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/whenever-you-undertake-an-activity-in-which-public-failure-is-a/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“They warn us to be careful in choosing our associates; other people, after all, have the power to shatter our tranquility—if we let them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/they-warn-us-to-be-careful-in-choosing-our-associates-other-people/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“Stoic tranquility was a psychological state marked by the absence of negative emotions, such as grief, anger, and anxiety, and the presence of positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/stoic-tranquility-was-a-psychological-state-marked-by-the-absence-of/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“WHAT DO YOU WANT out of life?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/what-do-you-want-out-of-life/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“Before Socrates, philosophers were primarily interested in explaining the world around them and the phenomena of that world—in doing what we would now call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/before-socrates-philosophers-were-primarily-interested-in-explaining/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“the art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.”46”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/the-art-of-living-is-more-like-wrestling-than-dancing-46/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“he is blessed who dies not late but well.”) It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/he-is-blessed-who-dies-not-late-but-well-it/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“If you refuse to enter contests that you are capable of losing, you will never lose a contest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/if-you-refuse-to-enter-contests-that-you-are-capable-of-losing-you/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“Throughout the millennia and across cultures, those who have thought carefully about desire have drawn the conclusion that spending our days working to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/throughout-the-millennia-and-across-cultures-those-who-have-thought/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) > [“My time is coming, I told myself, and I must do what I can to prepare for it. T”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-b-irvine/my-time-is-coming-i-told-myself-and-i-must-do-what-i-can-to-prepare/) [William B. Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) [Explore all 18 William B. Irvine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-b-irvine/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [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/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“reason tends to be the servant rather than the master of desire.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William B. 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