---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The inquiry in England is not whether a…"
description: "\"The inquiry in England is not whether a man has talents and genius, but whether he is passive and polite and a virtuous ass and obedient to noblemen's ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a9/william-blake-397_art_the-inquiry-in-england-is-not-whether-a_1098976.jpg"
---

#  The inquiry in England is not whether a man has talents…

![“The inquiry in England is not whether a man has talents and genius, but whether he is passive and polite and a virtuous ass and obedient to noblemen's opinions in art and science. If he is, he is a good man. If not, he must be starved.” quote by William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a9/william-blake-397_art_the-inquiry-in-england-is-not-whether-a_1098976.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a9/william-blake-397_art_the-inquiry-in-england-is-not-whether-a_1098976.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a9/william-blake-397_art_the-inquiry-in-england-is-not-whether-a_1098976.jpg)

> “The inquiry in England is not whether a man has talents and genius, but whether he is passive and polite and a virtuous ass and obedient to noblemen's opinions in art and science. If he is, he is a good man. If not, he must be starved.”

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Society values conformity and obedience over talent, rewarding those who are polite and submissive rather than brilliant.

**In simple terms:** Conformity is prized more than genius.

Key Takeaway

Question the worth of blind obedience.

Themes

society conformity talent obedience

Mood

critical reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- education
- workplace culture
- artistic expression

Key Concepts

social hierarchy virtue individualism

Questions to Reflect On

- Should talent be rewarded over politeness?
- How to foster both humility and brilliance?

A Different Perspective

Blind obedience can stifle innovation.

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> [“The greater a man's talents, the greater his power to lead astray. It is better than one should suffer than that many should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/the-greater-a-man-s-talents-the-greater-his-power-to-lead-astray-it/)

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> [It is not what talents or genius a man has, but how he is to his talents, that constitutes friendship and character. The man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-not-what-talents-or-genius-a-man-has-but-how-he-is-to-his/)

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> [The greater a man's talents, the more marked his idiosyncracies. Yet in the provinces originality is considered perilously close to lunacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-greater-a-man-s-talents-the-more-marked-his-idiosyncracies-yet-in/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [Let a man's talents or virtues be what they may, he will only feel satisfaction in his society as he is satisfied in himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/let-a-man-s-talents-or-virtues-be-what-they-may-he-will-only-feel/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [I have been called a man of many talents, but I like to keep a few of those talents hidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-flintoff/i-have-been-called-a-man-of-many-talents-but-i-like-to-keep-a-few-of/)

[Andrew Flintoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-flintoff/)

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[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/persistence-and-determination-alone-are-omnipotent/)

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> [He whose genius appears deepest and truest excels his fellows in nothing save the knack of expression; he throws out occasionally a lucky hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/he-whose-genius-appears-deepest-and-truest-excels-his-fellows-in/)

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> [The difference between Talent and Genius is that Talent says things which he has never heard but once, and Genius things which he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-difference-between-talent-and-genius-is-that-talent-says-things/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Talent and genius operate outside the rules, and theory conflicts with practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/talent-and-genius-operate-outside-the-rules-and-theory-conflicts-with/)

[Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/)

## More by William Blake

> [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/)

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> [Time is the mercy of Eternity; without Time's swiftness Which is the swiftest of all things, all were eternal torment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/time-is-the-mercy-of-eternity-without-time-s-swiftness-which-is-the/)

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