Even when we know what is right, too often we fail to act. More often we grab greedily for the day, letting tomorrow bring what it will, putting off the unpleasant and unpopular.

Baruch contrasts moral knowledge with moral action, arguing that the chief human failure is not ignorance but procrastination and self-interest. The “greedy” seizing of today suggests short-term thinking—choosing immediate comfort, profit, or popularity—while “putting off the unpleasant and unpopular” points to the avoidance of difficult duties (reform, sacrifice, candor) that may carry social or political costs. The quote reads as a critique of both personal character and public decision-making: societies often recognize necessary measures but delay them until consequences arrive. Its significance lies in framing responsibility as timely action, not merely correct judgment.