If there be no nobility of descent, all the more indispensable is it that there should be nobility of ascent, - a character in them that bear rule so fine and high and pure that as men come within the circle of its influence they involuntarily pay homage to that which is the one pre-eminent distinction, the royalty of virtue.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- If birthright offers no nobility, virtue must become the basis for true personal greatness.
- In plain terms
- Without noble birth, personal virtue is the only way to earn respect.
- What can you take from it?
- Cultivate virtue to gain genuine respect.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can virtue truly replace inherited privilege?
- What examples show virtue winning respect?
Another view
Societal structures sometimes still value lineage over character.
More from Henry Codman Potter
We have exchanged the Washingtonian dignity for the Jeffersonian simplicity, which was in truth only another name for the Jacksonian vulgarity.
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