--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Security of character would be like a…" description: "\"Security of character would be like a compass, you know? Other people may say that this way is north, or this way might be north. But the compass just ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-stafford-8165_character_security-of-character-would-be-like-a-co_1811863.png" --- # Security of character would be like a compass, you know?… ![“Security of character would be like a compass, you know? Other people may say that this way is north, or this way might be north. But the compass just says -- north. That's what we count on.” quote by William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-stafford-8165_character_security-of-character-would-be-like-a-co_1811863.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-stafford-8165_character_security-of-character-would-be-like-a-co_1811863.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/william-stafford-8165_character_security-of-character-would-be-like-a-co_1811863.png) > “Security of character would be like a compass, you know? Other people may say that this way is north, or this way might be north. But the compass just says -- north. That's what we count on.” [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral direction is absolute, unlike subjective opinions. **In simple terms:** Character is a fixed guide. Key Takeaway Trust your inner moral compass. Themes ethics character guidance Mood contemplative steady Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - decision making - leadership - personal dilemmas Key Concepts moral philosophy integrity Questions to Reflect On - How to reconcile moral absolutes with nuance? - When should flexibility be considered? A Different Perspective Rigid morality may ignore context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Compass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compass/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) ## Related quotes > [“Why a compass?” Ty asked. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Zane’s yet. Zane smiled and ran his thumb across the pendant. “Because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-roux/why-a-compass-ty-asked-he-hadn-t-taken-his-eyes-off-zane-s-yet-zane/) [Abigail Roux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-roux/) > [Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/like-a-compass-needle-that-points-north-a-man-s-accusing-finger/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Life is like a compass. When you set your goals correctly, it will take you to the RIGHT DIRECTION.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-like-a-compass-when-you-set-your-goals-correctly-it-will-take/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“your soul is like a compass, tells you where to go, but not how to get there”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-bunker/your-soul-is-like-a-compass-tells-you-where-to-go-but-not-how-to-get/) [Archie Bunker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-bunker/) > [“A highly developed values system is like a compass. It serves as a guide to point you in the right direction when you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idowu-koyenikan/a-highly-developed-values-system-is-like-a-compass-it-serves-as-a/) [Idowu Koyenikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idowu-koyenikan/) > [The heart is like a compass. It either leads you closer to a person or it shows you another way. If its meant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-heart-is-like-a-compass-it-either-leads-you-closer-to-a-person-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My attention is constantly homed in on her like I'm a compass and she's my North.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/my-attention-is-constantly-homed-in-on-her-like-i-m-a-compass-and-she/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [“Just seeing her again, even from a distance, reminds meof why I crave to be around her so much. It’s only been a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/just-seeing-her-again-even-from-a-distance-reminds-meof-why-i-crave/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [“He felt like a compass needle. The needle knows nothing about magnetic north; it only knows it must point in a certain direction, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/he-felt-like-a-compass-needle-the-needle-knows-nothing-about-magnetic/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/learn-this-now-and-learn-it-well-like-a-compass-facing-north-a-man-s/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“You don’t know where west is?” Sarah asked with disbelief. I wasn’t going to drop her to the ground. I was going to throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/you-don-t-know-where-west-is-sarah-asked-with-disbelief-i-wasn-t/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“But I know he'll call, no matter what shape he's in. Even when I hate him, I love him. Even when he stops calling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-warman/but-i-know-he-ll-call-no-matter-what-shape-he-s-in-even-when-i-hate/) [Jessica Warman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-warman/) > [Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a mans accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learn-this-now-and-learn-it-well-like-a-compass-facing-north-a-mans/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nature's wisdom teaches us that where life is in motion, it's healthy; where it's stagnant, it's dying. But people have to interpret that journey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-butterfly-hill/nature-s-wisdom-teaches-us-that-where-life-is-in-motion-it-s-healthy/) [Julia Butterfly Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-butterfly-hill/) > [“Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/learn-this-now-and-learn-it-well-my-daughter-like-a-compass-needle/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) ## More by William Stafford > [People wander about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/people-wander-about-what-you-are-pursuing-you-have-to-explain-about/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [Anyone who breathes is in the rhythm business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/anyone-who-breathes-is-in-the-rhythm-business/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [I don't see writing as a communication of something already discovered, as "truths" already known. Rather, I see writing as a job of experiment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-don-t-see-writing-as-a-communication-of-something-already/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [An owl sound wandered along the road with me. I didn't hear it--I breathed it into my ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/an-owl-sound-wandered-along-the-road-with-me-i-didn-t-hear-it-i/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The Way It Is There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-way-it-is-there-s-a-thread-you-follow-it-goes-among-things-that/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [It's love,' they say. You touch the right one and a whole half of the universe wakes up, a new half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/it-s-love-they-say-you-touch-the-right-one-and-a-whole-half-of-the/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“We think it is calm here, or that our storm is the right size.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/we-think-it-is-calm-here-or-that-our-storm-is-the-right-size/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“There may be losses too great to understand That rove after you and--faint and terrible-- rip unknown through your hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/there-may-be-losses-too-great-to-understand-that-rove-after-you-and/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [It is as if the ordinary language we use every day has a hidden set of signals, a kind of secret code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/it-is-as-if-the-ordinary-language-we-use-every-day-has-a-hidden-set/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [My question is "when did other people give up the idea of being a poet?" You know, when we are kids we make up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/my-question-is-when-did-other-people-give-up-the-idea-of-being-a-poet/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The things you do not have to say make you rich. Saying the things you do not have to say weakens your talk. Hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-things-you-do-not-have-to-say-make-you-rich-saying-the-things-you/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“I am your own way of looking at things," she said. "When you allow me to live with you, every glance at the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-am-your-own-way-of-looking-at-things-she-said-when-you-allow-me-to/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [I heard a bird congratulating itself all day for being a jay. Nobody cared. But it was glad all over again, and said so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-heard-a-bird-congratulating-itself-all-day-for-being-a-jay-nobody/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The earth says have a place, be what that place requires; hear the sound the birds imply and see as deep as ridges go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-earth-says-have-a-place-be-what-that-place-requires-hear-the/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [You can lie at a banquet but you have to be honest in the kitchen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/you-can-lie-at-a-banquet-but-you-have-to-be-honest-in-the-kitchen/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) [Explore all 83 William Stafford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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