--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If goodness were only a theory, it were a…" description: "\"If goodness were only a theory, it were a pity it should be lost to the world. There are a number of things, the idea of which is a clear gain to the m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/william-hazlitt-326_clear_if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a_1741962.jpg" --- # If goodness were only a theory, it were a pity it should… ![“If goodness were only a theory, it were a pity it should be lost to the world. There are a number of things, the idea of which is a clear gain to the mind. Let people, for instance, rail at friendship, genius, freedom, as long as they will -the very names of these despised qualities are better…” quote by William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/william-hazlitt-326_clear_if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a_1741962.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/william-hazlitt-326_clear_if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a_1741962.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/william-hazlitt-326_clear_if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a_1741962.jpg) > “If goodness were only a theory, it were a pity it should be lost to the world. There are a number of things, the idea of which is a clear gain to the mind. Let people, for instance, rail at friendship, genius, freedom, as long as they will -the very names of these despised qualities are better than anything else that could be substituted for them, and embalm even the most envenomed satire against them.” [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If goodness were only theoretical, it would be a tragedy that it’s lost; people cling to lofty concepts like friendship and freedom even when they become empty slogans. **In simple terms:** Goodness must be lived, not just spoken. Key Takeaway Live the values you admire. Themes morality philosophy values Mood critical inspirational Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - political discourse - personal relationships - education Key Concepts existentialism ethics Questions to Reflect On - What values do you truly practice? - How can abstract ideals become concrete? A Different Perspective Ideas without action become hollow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Satire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satire/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“she did at least feel pity for me, pity for a lost soul. And if once a girl’s heart is moved to pity, it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/she-did-at-least-feel-pity-for-me-pity-for-a-lost-soul-and-if-once-a/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [We do not like our friends the worse because they sometimes give us an opportunity to rail at them heartily. Their faults reconcile us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-do-not-like-our-friends-the-worse-because-they-sometimes-give-us/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [“Never so sure our rapture to create As when it touch'd the brink of all we hate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/never-so-sure-our-rapture-to-create-as-when-it-touch-d-the-brink-of/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Since we don't have a tyrant or a dictator, we can't put people who are burning flag in jail. But Donald Trump is telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/since-we-don-t-have-a-tyrant-or-a-dictator-we-can-t-put-people-who/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [There are too many people around keeping me grounded to go off the rails. I'm my own person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-scott/there-are-too-many-people-around-keeping-me-grounded-to-go-off-the/) [Naomi Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-scott/) > [Who loves not Knowledge? Who shall rail Against her beauty? May she mix With men and prosper! Who shall fix Her pillars? Let her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/who-loves-not-knowledge-who-shall-rail-against-her-beauty-may-she-mix/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [By my count, the Deputy Prime Minister has sworn an oath of loyalty and service to Her Majesty no fewer than four times in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-wayne/by-my-count-the-deputy-prime-minister-has-sworn-an-oath-of-loyalty/) Elsie Wayne > [When novels deal in abstractions, they generally go off the rails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/when-novels-deal-in-abstractions-they-generally-go-off-the-rails/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [It's funny, but when there are dominant teams, there are a number of people who rail about the fact that they're always seeing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-michaels/it-s-funny-but-when-there-are-dominant-teams-there-are-a-number-of/) [Al Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-michaels/) > [Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/let-us-spend-one-day-as-deliberately-as-nature-and-not-be-thrown-off/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [When I got married in my twenties, I had a happy marriage and happy kids but at some point in time I let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-rose/when-i-got-married-in-my-twenties-i-had-a-happy-marriage-and-happy/) [Stuart Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-rose/) > [“Mega rail project set to link East Africa”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mega-rail-project-set-to-link-east-africa/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The main problem with rail is flexibility and affordability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-noble/the-main-problem-with-rail-is-flexibility-and-affordability/) [Mark Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-noble/) > [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/) Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk > [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) ## More by William Hazlitt > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are thankful for good-will rather than for services, for the motive than the quantum of favor received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-thankful-for-good-will-rather-than-for-services-for-the-motive/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-discussing-the-characters-and-foibles-of-common-friends-is-a/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Want of principle is power. Truth and honesty set a limit to our efforts, which impudence and hypocrisy easily overleap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/want-of-principle-is-power-truth-and-honesty-set-a-limit-to-our/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Repose is as necessary in conversation as in a picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/repose-is-as-necessary-in-conversation-as-in-a-picture/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [No act terminating in itself constitutes greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/no-act-terminating-in-itself-constitutes-greatness/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Vice is man's nature: virtue is a habit--or a mask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/vice-is-man-s-nature-virtue-is-a-habit-or-a-mask/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-never-do-anything-well-till-we-cease-to-think-about-the-manner/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-weeps-for-he-is-the-only/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Those who have had none of the cares of this life to harass and disturb them, have been obliged to have recourse to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/those-who-have-had-none-of-the-cares-of-this-life-to-harass-and/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/poverty-when-it-is-voluntary-is-never-despicable-but-takes-an/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are not satisfied to be right, unless we can prove others to be quite wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-not-satisfied-to-be-right-unless-we-can-prove-others-to-be/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-world-judge-of-men-by-their-ability-in-their-profession-and-we/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-best-part-of-our-lives-we-pass-in-counting-on-what-is-to-come/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) [Explore all 671 William Hazlitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## More Clear quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Clear moments are so short. There is much more darkness. More ocean than terra firma. More shadow than form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/clear-moments-are-so-short-there-is-much-more-darkness-more-ocean/) [Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/) > [I try to listen to all music with an open head, a clear head, try not to say just because I don't know it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghostface-killah/i-try-to-listen-to-all-music-with-an-open-head-a-clear-head-try-not/) [Ghostface Killah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghostface-killah/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) > [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [I've always made it clear that I do not believe that global government is either necessary or feasible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-always-made-it-clear-that-i-do-not-believe-that-global/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [The moment it begins to question itself, the mind becomes so clear that it starts working with itself rather than with the body's identification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/the-moment-it-begins-to-question-itself-the-mind-becomes-so-clear/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Alec Wilkinson is a spare, clear, and lucid writer who works in stylistic simplicity with material that is not simple at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/alec-wilkinson-is-a-spare-clear-and-lucid-writer-who-works-in/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) Browse all 7,410 Clear quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If goodness were only a theory, it were a pity it should be lost to the world. There are a number of things, the idea of which is a clear gain to the mind. Let people, for instance, rail at friendship, genius, freedom, as long as they will -the very names of these despised qualities are better than anything else that could be substituted for them, and embalm even the most envenomed satire against them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Hazlitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a-pity-it-should-be-lost-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clear" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a-pity-it-should-be-lost-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/william-hazlitt-326_clear_if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a_1741962.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/william-hazlitt-326_clear_if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a_1741962.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fb/william-hazlitt-326_clear_if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a_1741962.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If goodness were only a theory, it were a pity it should be lost to the world. There are a number of things…” — William Hazlitt", "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": "William Hazlitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If goodness were only a theory,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a-pity-it-should-be-lost-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/if-goodness-were-only-a-theory-it-were-a-pity-it-should-be-lost-to/#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 } } ] } ```