Famous quote by Will Rogers

"People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide"

About this Quote

Will Rogers points out how society increasingly relies on external professional advice, specifically legal counsel, rather than personal moral judgment to navigate complex or ambiguous situations. The underlying message is that as society grows more sophisticated, what he calls "getting smarter", individuals may become less likely to trust their own sense of right and wrong, choosing instead to heed legal counsel as the ultimate authority. This shift may result from a desire for self-protection in a world where legal pitfalls abound, or from a perception that the law, rather than inner morality, is the ultimate arbiter of acceptable behavior.

The humorous undertone in the quote suggests Rogers is critiquing a society that substitutes technical expertise for personal responsibility. Lawyers, trained to interpret the law and find legal justifications, become guides not just in the courtroom but in everyday ethical decisions. As a result, actions are weighed against legal consequences rather than internalized values. This trend subtly implies a decline in individual accountability and courage to act on personal principles, replaced by calculating what is legal, not what is right.

At a broader level, the observation highlights tensions between legalistic and ethical frameworks. The law represents societal consensus but can never fully encompass the complexity and nuance of moral choices. When people let lawyers be their guide, they're outsourcing morality to an external system, which may sometimes permit questionable behavior simply because it is not explicitly prohibited. The implication is not that lawyers are inherently untrustworthy, but that there is danger in confusing legality with morality. Rogers reminds readers that sophistication and intelligence should not excuse abandonment of conscience. Instead, the wisest person summons both an understanding of law and a firm commitment to doing what is right, recognizing that while law can offer guidance, conscience should remain the ultimate guide in human conduct.

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Will Rogers This quote is from Will Rogers between November 4, 1879 and August 15, 1935. He was a famous Actor from USA. The author also have 99 other quotes.
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