--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That you may retain your self-respect, it…" description: "\"That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/william-j-h-boetcker-11534_life_that-you-may-retain-your-self-respect-it_1245942.png" --- # That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to… ![“That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.” quote by William J. H. Boetcker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/william-j-h-boetcker-11534_life_that-you-may-retain-your-self-respect-it_1245942.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/william-j-h-boetcker-11534_life_that-you-may-retain-your-self-respect-it_1245942.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/william-j-h-boetcker-11534_life_that-you-may-retain-your-self-respect-it_1245942.png) > “That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.” [William J. H. Boetcker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-h-boetcker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Upholding personal integrity outweighs fleeting approval from others. **In simple terms:** Do what's right even if it upsets people. Key Takeaway Choose integrity over popularity. Themes integrity self‑respect morality Mood reflective determined Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership decisions - social pressure - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts ethical principle personal values Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal values with social expectations? - What costs are you willing to bear for integrity? A Different Perspective May cause conflict or isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Self respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-respect/) ## Related quotes > [It is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-h-boetcker/it-is-better-to-displease-the-people-by-doing-what-you-know-is-right/) [William J. H. Boetcker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-h-boetcker/) > [“Ladies, set your standards high. Never lower them.. The day you do, you will get less then what you deserve. Every woman, deserves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ladies-set-your-standards-high-never-lower-them-the-day-you-do-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I genuinely believe that people respond to your behaviour. So if we show respect to each other, we show a higher level of behaviour,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-hoyle/i-genuinely-believe-that-people-respond-to-your-behaviour-so-if-we/) [Lindsay Hoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-hoyle/) > [Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/resolved-to-ask-myself-at-the-end-of-every-day-week-month-and-year/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [If People hate you and you trust yourself and respect yourself is better than of people who love you and you hate yourself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/if-people-hate-you-and-you-trust-yourself-and-respect-yourself-is/) [SunShine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/) > [Chasing after a guy who's not interested in you will rip the hell out of your self-respect. Better to face facts now because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/chasing-after-a-guy-who-s-not-interested-in-you-will-rip-the-hell-out/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [When raising your children, do the best you can, with love and respect to be a better woman or man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/when-raising-your-children-do-the-best-you-can-with-love-and-respect/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“Respect is better than tolerance (2) for the very obverse and complement of its sternness: It does not just “bear” the others, nor just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-brann/respect-is-better-than-tolerance-2-for-the-very-obverse-and/) [Eva Brann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-brann/) > [If you want me to treat your ideas with more respect, get some better ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/if-you-want-me-to-treat-your-ideas-with-more-respect-get-some-better/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [You want respect,well you better get some of yourself...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yram-enaj/you-want-respect-well-you-better-get-some-of-yourself/) [Yram Enaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yram-enaj/) > [Nobody asks you to love the whole world, only to be honest, ehrlich. Don't have a loud mouth. The more you love people the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/nobody-asks-you-to-love-the-whole-world-only-to-be-honest-ehrlich-don/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Respect is better procured by exacting than soliciting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-fulke-greville/respect-is-better-procured-by-exacting-than-soliciting-it/) [Sir Fulke Greville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-fulke-greville/) > [“quarter respect is better than an open insult”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-grundow/quarter-respect-is-better-than-an-open-insult/) [kwame grundow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-grundow/) > [We are but one of the multitude, in no respect better than any other in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/we-are-but-one-of-the-multitude-in-no-respect-better-than-any-other/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [You have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other. 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