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Quote by Lena Horne

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Lena Horne
Lena Horne

Lena Horne was an American singer, actress, and civil rights activist. Born on June 30, 1917, she was a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, known for her powerful voice and elegant stage presence. Horne's career spanned several decades, and she became one of the first African-American women to achieve major success in Hollywood. She was also a vocal advocate for civil rights and equality, using her platform to fight against racial discrimination. more

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“It takes courage to have a conscience when you seem to see others getting something tangible out of not bothering to struggle with the morality of a situation. It gets frustrating and demoralizing. This is precisely where character comes in. All throughout history special people have felt compelled to do what they objectively saw as right and good - even in the face of humiliation or rejection or expulsion or torture or death. That is because they believed that certain ideas were more important than individual well-being.”

“There is seemingly no biological benefit to acting with conscience; if there were, only moral individuals would survive and procreate. Sadly, we know that's not true. The benefit of conscience is that you won't suffer guilt (private) or shame (public), and that by your own self-imposed definition, you are a moral human, a special kind of animal who takes unique pride in elevating him/herself above the termites.”

“Listen, after almost twenty years of call-in radio, I can tell you that the main thrust of too many lives is an overemphasis on feeling good instead of doing good. Being admired and respected by the self and others has taken a back seat to feeling good, or, at least, avoiding feeling bad. And, oh boy, the excuses some of you can come up with for doing so!”