Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“Although genius always commands admiration, character most secures respect.”
- Source
- Character
- Date
- 1871
Meaning of “Although genius always commands admiration, character most secures…”
Talent may attract attention, but durable respect depends more heavily on conduct, reliability, and the moral quality people experience over time.
Where does it come from?
Character, Chapter I, “Influence of Character,” Project Gutenberg #2541. Near the opening, Smiles contrasts admiration for genius with the more durable respect secured by character, framing the latter as a power of conduct rather than intellect alone.
