QuoteProject
The man who has won millions at the cost of his conscience is a failure.
B. C. Forbes
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

True success is measured not just by wealth but by one's ethical standards.

This quote emphasizes that achieving financial success at the expense of one's moral principles constitutes a failure. It suggests that integrity and conscience are fundamental elements of true success, and one cannot truly be considered a success if they have compromised their values to gain material wealth.

Themes

SuccessConscienceIntegrityWealthValues

In practice

Example use cases

This quote is perfect to use during a business ethics seminar to highlight the importance of integrity in achieving success.

More from B. C. Forbes

How you start is important, very important, but in the end it is how you finish that counts. It is easier to be a self-starter than a self-finisher. The victor in the race is not the one who dashes off swiftest but the one who leads at the finish. In the race for success, speed is less important than stamina. The sticker outlasts the sprinter in life's race. In America we breed many hares but not so many tortoises.
B. C. ForbesRead
I have known not a few men who, after reaching the summits of business success, found themselves miserable on attaining retirement age. They were so exclusively engrossed in their day to day affairs that they had no time for friend making.
B. C. ForbesRead
Jealousy is an inner consciousness of one's own inferiority. It is a mental cancer.
B. C. ForbesRead
He is a wise man who seeks by every legitimate means to make all the money he can honestly, for money can do so many worthwhile things in this world, not merely for one's self but for others. But he is an unmitigated fool who imagines for a moment that it is more important to make the money than to make it honestly. One of the advantages of possessing money is that it facilitates one's independence and mental attitude. The man head over heels in debt is more slave than independent.
B. C. ForbesRead
Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves. It directs our thoughts to giving.
B. C. ForbesRead
Opportunity rarely knocks on your door. Knock rather on opportunity's door if you ardently wish to enter.
B. C. ForbesRead

Similar quotes

You do not pay the price of success, you enjoy the price of success.
Zig ZiglarRead
The ability to work hard for days on end without losing focus is a talent. The ability to keep absorbing new information after many hours of study is a talent.
Garry KasparovRead
It occurred to me that building a company was the best way to align a group of people towards building something great. And its really... it's a good organizational structure where you can really reward people. If they're building something that's good, you can you work with partners and reward them if the product that you're developing work well. It's a good way to get the best people involved to build something very good.
Mark ZuckerbergRead
The Nets' a stone throw from where I used to throw bricks_x000D_ _x000D_ ...So it's only right I'm still tossing 'round Knicks.
Jay-ZRead
Arsene Wenger asked me to have a trial with Arsenal when I was 17. I turned it down. Zlatan doesn't do auditions
Zlatan IbrahimovicRead
A lot of people are focused on taking over the world or doing the biggest thing and getting the most users. I think part of making a difference and doing something cool is focusing intensely.
Mark ZuckerbergRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.

Quote by B. C. Forbes | QuoteProject