---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who meanly admires a mean thing is a…"
description: "\"He who meanly admires a mean thing is a snob--perhaps that is a safe definition of the character.\" — William Makepeace Thackeray"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_admire_he-who-meanly-admires-a-mean-thing-is-a_3216150.jpg"
---

#  He who meanly admires a mean thing is a snob--perhaps that…

![“He who meanly admires a mean thing is a snob--perhaps that is a safe definition of the character.” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_admire_he-who-meanly-admires-a-mean-thing-is-a_3216150.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_admire_he-who-meanly-admires-a-mean-thing-is-a_3216150.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_admire_he-who-meanly-admires-a-mean-thing-is-a_3216150.jpg)

> “He who meanly admires a mean thing is a snob--perhaps that is a safe definition of the character.”

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

## About This Quote

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

Admiring something undesirable signals pretentiousness.

**In simple terms:** Liking the bad shows snobbery.

Key Takeaway

Beware of superficial admiration.

Themes

snobbery authenticity taste

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- fashion trends
- social media personas

Key Concepts

social status cultural criticism

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives us to admire the undesirable?
- Can admiration be sincere?

A Different Perspective

May ignore genuine appreciation of art.

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[Admire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admire/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitions/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mean Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-thing-470620/) [Meanly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meanly-732241/) [Meanly Admires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meanly-admires-4457043/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Snob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snob/) [Thing Snob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-snob-6028208/)

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