--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What passes in the world for talent or…" description: "\"What passes in the world for talent or dexterity or enterprise is often only a want of moral principle. We may succeed where others fail, not from a gr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8b/william-hazlitt-326_being-nice_what-passes-in-the-world-for-talent-or-d_558042.png" --- # What passes in the world for talent or dexterity or… ![“What passes in the world for talent or dexterity or enterprise is often only a want of moral principle. We may succeed where others fail, not from a greater share of invention, but from not being nice in the choice of expedients.” quote by William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8b/william-hazlitt-326_being-nice_what-passes-in-the-world-for-talent-or-d_558042.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8b/william-hazlitt-326_being-nice_what-passes-in-the-world-for-talent-or-d_558042.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8b/william-hazlitt-326_being-nice_what-passes-in-the-world-for-talent-or-d_558042.png) > “What passes in the world for talent or dexterity or enterprise is often only a want of moral principle. We may succeed where others fail, not from a greater share of invention, but from not being nice in the choice of expedients.” [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. Success often stems from moral choices rather than sheer skill; ethical shortcuts can outpace raw talent. **In simple terms:** Moral choices can trump talent. Key Takeaway Prioritize integrity over cleverness. Themes ethics talent success integrity Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - team management - creative projects Key Concepts moral psychology pragmatism character development Questions to Reflect On - What ethical compromises are you willing to make? - How does integrity affect long‑term achievement? A Different Perspective Success without ethics may be unsustainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-nice/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Dexterity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dexterity/) [Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-principles/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-second-commandment-is-thou-shall-not-construct-any-graven-images/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [It is never to be expected in a revolution that every man is to change his opinion at the same moment. There never yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-is-never-to-be-expected-in-a-revolution-that-every-man-is-to/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Moral principle is the foundation of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/moral-principle-is-the-foundation-of-law/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A moral principle is not a command to act or to forbear acting in a given way: it is a tool for analyzing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-moral-principle-is-not-a-command-to-act-or-to-forbear-acting-in-a/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [To risk reputation and affection for the truth's sake is so demanding that to do it constantly you will need a degree of moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/to-risk-reputation-and-affection-for-the-truth-s-sake-is-so-demanding/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [In some cases, lack of full knowledge or holistic view, that is also part of the problem. But mainly lack of moral principle. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/in-some-cases-lack-of-full-knowledge-or-holistic-view-that-is-also/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [As the light of morning strikes now one peak and then another, some being illuminated while others are in the shadow, so the light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-adler/as-the-light-of-morning-strikes-now-one-peak-and-then-another-some/) [Felix Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-adler/) > [We may make mistakes-but they must never be mistakes which result from faintness of heart or abandonment of moral principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/we-may-make-mistakes-but-they-must-never-be-mistakes-which-result/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Non-cooperation in military matters should be an essential moral principle for all true scientists ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/non-cooperation-in-military-matters-should-be-an-essential-moral/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“What subjectivism is in the realm of ethics, collectivism is in the realm of politics. Just as the notion that "anything I do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/what-subjectivism-is-in-the-realm-of-ethics-collectivism-is-in-the/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [There are no "standards of Right". Ethics is balderdash. Each Star must go on its own orbit. To hell with "moral principle"; there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/there-are-no-standards-of-right-ethics-is-balderdash-each-star-must/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [No great, inspiring culture of the future can be built upon the moral principle of relativism. For at its bottom such a culture holds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-novak/no-great-inspiring-culture-of-the-future-can-be-built-upon-the-moral/) [Michael Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-novak/) > [When we assume God to be a guiding principle well, sure enough, a god is usually characteristic of a certain system of thought or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/when-we-assume-god-to-be-a-guiding-principle-well-sure-enough-a-god/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Sound moral principle is the only sure evidence of strength, the only firm foundation of greatness and perpetuity. Where this is lacking, no man's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-f-whitney/sound-moral-principle-is-the-only-sure-evidence-of-strength-the-only/) [Orson F. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-f-whitney/) > [The Church's basic moral principle regarding reproductive technologies is this: if a given technology assists the marital embrace in achieving its natural end, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-west/the-church-s-basic-moral-principle-regarding-reproductive/) [Christopher West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-west/) ## 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 Being nice quotes > [Business school graduates from the best schools earn large salaries and frequently rise to positions of great power. It would be nice if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/business-school-graduates-from-the-best-schools-earn-large-salaries/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [What is needed, however, isn't just that people working together be nice to each other. It is discipline. Discipline is hard--harder than trustworthiness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/what-is-needed-however-isn-t-just-that-people-working-together-be/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [I think there's a lot of scope in broadening the way videogames approach depictions of masculinity, which is still extremely narrow in scope. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-druckmann/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-scope-in-broadening-the-way-videogames/) Neil Druckmann > [He put his arms around her. “Well, in my defense, then, whatever I did seemed to work, didn't it?” She sighed. “I suppose.” “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-put-his-arms-around-her-well-in-my-defense-then-whatever-i-did/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Somewhere where people aren't so mad would be nice, but I don't know if there is anywhere like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/somewhere-where-people-aren-t-so-mad-would-be-nice-but-i-don-t-know/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Most of the people I know who were raised to be accommodating or were raised to just be nice and put everybody's needs ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/most-of-the-people-i-know-who-were-raised-to-be-accommodating-or-were/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“When we are nice to others, we generally lose all claim to their respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/when-we-are-nice-to-others-we-generally-lose-all-claim-to-their/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Being nice from now on, leaving the old BS where it's at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-from-now-on-leaving-the-old-bs-where-it-s-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can see that I imagine all kinds of rejection that never happens. I can see that I beg and plead for love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/i-can-see-that-i-imagine-all-kinds-of-rejection-that-never-happens-i/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [I think music is better listened to with other people. Music is better shared. It depends what situation you're in - if it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-odell/i-think-music-is-better-listened-to-with-other-people-music-is-better/) [Tom Odell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-odell/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great. To many people, being nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the-2/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [Give me a mirror.Or holy water. I'll drink it,even!" I gasped as someone threw water on the side of my face. "A little warning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/give-me-a-mirror-or-holy-water-i-ll-drink-it-even-i-gasped-as-someone/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [What inspired me as a child is the same thing that inspires me now: being nice. I always try to one up everybody with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joell-ortiz/what-inspired-me-as-a-child-is-the-same-thing-that-inspires-me-now/) [Joell Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joell-ortiz/) > [My ex-wife was trying to be nice once, so she took me to a concert in Los Angeles. I went with her to Symphony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/my-ex-wife-was-trying-to-be-nice-once-so-she-took-me-to-a-concert-in/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) [Browse all 659 Being nice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-nice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What passes in the world for talent or dexterity or enterprise is often only a want of moral principle. 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