To get down to the quick of it, respect motivates me - not

Hear, O seeker, the words of Hugh Jackman: “To get down to the quick of it, respect motivates me – not success.” In this confession lies a wisdom both humble and profound. For the world clamors after success, that fleeting crown of applause, gold, and fame. Yet Jackman turns away from the glitter and names instead the quieter, nobler treasure: respect. To be respected is to be seen truly, not for trophies, but for character; not for what one has gained, but for how one has lived.

The ancients taught that honor is greater than wealth. Success dazzles, but like fire it burns out swiftly. Respect, once earned through integrity, can endure beyond death, carried in the stories of those who remember. Achilles won glory through conquest, but Socrates gained reverence through truth. One sought to conquer men’s eyes; the other conquered men’s hearts. Jackman, in his modern way, chooses the path of Socrates: to live so that one’s works and one’s spirit command not mere envy, but enduring esteem.

Think of Abraham Lincoln, who rose not from privilege but from poverty. His path was not paved with success in the worldly sense—he knew failure in politics, loss in business, sorrow in family. Yet through steadfastness and honesty, he gained respect so deep that even his enemies honored him. When he fell to an assassin’s hand, the world did not only mourn a president; it mourned a man who embodied dignity. Success may have placed him in office, but respect has kept his name immortal.

For what is success but a mask? It may conceal weakness or vanity. One may succeed through chance, through inheritance, or through deceit. But respect cannot be forged by accident. It springs only from truth, from labor honestly done, from words that match deeds. When Jackman says he is motivated by respect, he declares that what drives him is not the roar of the crowd, but the quiet voice of conscience and the clear gaze of others who see him as genuine.

The lesson is not for actors or leaders alone, but for every soul. In the marketplace, in the home, in the classroom, we must ask ourselves: do we seek to impress, or to be respected? Do we hunger for applause, or do we labor for the esteem that arises from integrity? For the applause fades when the curtain falls, but respect abides when the hall is empty. To live by respect is to build foundations upon stone; to chase success alone is to build upon sand.

Therefore, let us train our hearts to value respect above success. Strive to be honest in speech, diligent in work, generous in action. Keep promises, however small. Treat others as if they are sacred, for indeed they are. In this way, respect will follow you, unbidden yet unshakable, like a shadow that cannot be driven off by night or storm.

Mark this truth: when you live for success, you belong to the crowd, tossed by its fickle winds. When you live for respect, you belong to yourself, anchored in dignity and strength. Jackman’s words echo the eternal call of wisdom: seek not the crown of glory, but the crown of honor. For when life’s stage is darkened and the noise has passed, it is not success that remains—it is the respect that you have sown in the hearts of others.