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Virtue Quotes

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Virtue Quotes

“In practical matters the end is not mere speculative knowledge of what is to be done, but rather the doing of it. It is not enough to know about Virtue, then, but we must endeavor to possess it, and to use it, or to take any other steps that may make.”

Knows May Ends Matter Done Enough Use Steps Virtue Mere Deeds Practicals Endeavor

Book:The Nicomachean ethics

Source: The Nicomachean ethics

“The most influential of all the virtues are those which are the most in request for daily use. They wear the best, and last the longest.”

Use Lasts Virtue Request Influential

Book:Character

Source: Character

“The modern world is reversing the old virtues of authority. They aimed deliberately to make men unworldly. They did not aim to found society on a full use of the earth's resources; they did not aim to use the whole nature of man; they did not intend him to think out the full expression of his desires. Democracy is a turning point upon those ideals in a pursuit, at first unconsciously, of the richest life that men can devise for themselves.”

Thinking Men World Firsts Whole Use Earth Desire Found Virtue Democracy Modern Expression Authority Resources Ideals Aim Pursuit Modern World Turning Points Nature Of Man

Author:Walter Lippmann

“Riches are but a means, or instrument; and the virtue of an instrument lies in its use.”

Mean Use Lying Wealth Virtue Rich Instruments Riches

Book:Moral and religious aphorisms collected from the manuscript papers of the reverend and learned Doctor Whichcote; and published in 1703, by Dr. Jeffery. Now re-published, with very large additions, ... by Samuel Salter, ... To which are added, Eight letter

Source: Moral and religious aphorisms collected from the manuscript papers of the reverend and learned Doctor Whichcote; and published in 1703, by Dr. Jeffery. Now re-published, with very large additions, ... by Samuel Salter, ... To which are added, Eight letter

“Mead's anthropology had many other red, white and blue- blooded virtues. One was the common anthropological conceit, out of which she made a career, to the effect that the ultimate value of studying other cultures was the use we could make of them to reconstruct our own - a heady kind of intellectual imperialism, as if the final meaning of others' lives was their significance for us.”

“Karma is the record of services. Karma is the term used in Buddhist teaching. Taoists use the term te. Christians us the term "deed." Many other spiritual beings use the term "virtue." Karma, te, deed, and virtue are the same thing but in different words. To understand karma is to understand all of these words.”

Different Use Christian Spiritual Used Term Virtue Records Teaching Deeds Karma Buddhist Spiritual Beings

Author:Zhi Gang Sha

“As regards the quietude of the sage, he is not quiet because quietness is said to be good. He is quiet because the multitude of things cannot disturb his quietude. When water is still, one's beard and eyelashes are reflected in it. A skilled carpenter uses it in a level to obtain a measurement. If still water is so clear, how much more are the mental faculties! The mind of the sage is the mirror of heaven and earth in which all things are reflected.”

“There is only one thing for which God has sent me into the world, and that is to develop every kind of virtue or strength, and there is nothing in all the world that I cannot use for this purpose.”

World Kind Use Purpose Virtue One Thing

Author:Epictetus

“Randian heroes come off as metaphors for Jews because they are beset by irrational forces that try to bar them from the professions and use their virtues against them to bring about their destruction.”

Trying Use Force Virtue Atheism Hero Destruction Metaphor Jew Positive Atheism Profession Bars Irrational

Author:Florence King

“I am truly amazed that after all this time, religious groups still need to attack entertainment and use these tragedies as a pitiful excuse for their own self-serving publicity. In response to their protests, I will provide a show where I balance my songs with a wholesome Bible reading. This way, fans will not only hear my so-called, violent point of view, but we can also examine the virtues of wonderful 'Christian' stories of disease, murder, adultery, suicide and child sacrifice. Now that seems like 'entertainment' to me.”

“That an author's work is the mirror of his mind is a position that has led to very false conclusions. If Satan himself were to write a book it would be in praise of virtue, because the good would purchase it for use, and the bad for ostentation.”

Ifs Writing Mind Book Use Would Be Virtue Position Praise Mirrors Conclusion Satan Authorship Ostentation

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“A great estate is a great disadvantage to those who do not know how to use it, for nothing is more common than to see wealthy persons live scandalously and miserably; riches do them no service in order to virtue and happiness; therefore 'tis precept and principle, not an estate, that makes a man good for something.”

Knows Men Persons Use Order Common Principles Know How Virtue Riches Wealthy Estates Disadvantages Virtue And Happiness

Author:Marcus Aurelius

“There learned arts do flourish in great honour And poets's wits are had in peerless price; Religion hath lay power, to rest upon her, Advancing virtue, and suppressing vice. For end all good, all grace there freely grows, Had people grace it gratefully to use: For God His gifts there plenteously bestows, But graceless men them greatly do abuse.”

People Men Art Ends Use Grows Virtue Grace Poet Abuse England Lays Vices Wit Honour Advancing Suppressing

Book:The poetical works of Edmund Spenser: With memoir and critical dissertations

Source: The poetical works of Edmund Spenser: With memoir and critical dissertations

“Riches are oft by guilt and baseness earn'd; Or dealt by chance to shield a lucky knave, Or throw a cruel sunshine on a fool. But for one end, one much-neglected use, Are riches worth your care; (for nature's wants Are few, and without opulence supplied;) This noble end is, to produce the soul; To show the virtues in their fairest light; To make humanity the minister Of bounteous Providence; and teach the breast The generous luxury the gods enjoy.”

“Affability, mildness, tenderness, and a word which I would fain bring back to its original signification of virtue,--I mean good-nature,--are of daily use; they are the bread of mankind and staff of life.”

Mean Use Virtue Mankind Originals Bread Good Life Tenderness Staff Good Humor Good Nature Mildness

Book:The Poetical Works of John Dryden: With Life and Critical Dissertation

Source: The Poetical Works of John Dryden: With Life and Critical Dissertation

“Like language, a code of manners can be used with more or less skill, for laudable or for evil purposes, to express a great variety of ideas and emotions. In itself, it carries no moral value, but ignorance in use of this tool is not a sign of virtue.”

Ideas Use Used Purpose Values Evil Language Emotion Moral Virtue Ignorance Skills Tools Variety Manners Code Carrie Moral Values

Book:Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson

Source: Common courtesy: in which Miss Manners solves the problem that baffled Mr. Jefferson

“Poverty is dishonorable, not in itself, but when it is a proof of laziness, intemperance, luxury, and carelessness; whereas in a person that is temperate, industrious, just and valiant, and who uses all his virtues for the public good, it shows a great and lofty mind.”

Mind Persons Use Shows Poverty Virtue Proof Luxury Laziness Lofty Industrious Public Good Carelessness Valiant Intemperance Dishonorable

Book:Plutarch's Lives

Source: Plutarch's Lives

“Being satisfied, from observation and experience, as well as from medical testimony, that ardent spirit as a drink is not only needless but hurtful; and that the entire disuse of it would tend to promote the health, the virtue, and the happiness of the community, we hereby express our convention that should the citizens of the United States, and especially ALL YOUNG MEN, discontinue entirely the use of it, they would not only promote their own personal benefit, but the good of our country and the world.”

“If you do not have courage, you may not have the opportunity to use any of your other virtues.”

Ifs May Use Opportunity Virtue Have Courage

Author:Samuel L. Jackson

“Among the innumerable mortifications which waylay human arrogance on every side may well be reckoned our ignorance of the most common objects and effects, a defect of which we become more sensible by every attempt to supply it. Vulgar and inactive minds confound familiarity with knowledge and conceive themselves informed of the whole nature of things when they are shown their form or told their use; but the speculatist, who is not content with superficial views, harasses himself with fruitless curiosity, and still, as he inquires more, perceives only that he knows less.”

“The vices enter into the composition of the virtues, as poisons into that of medicines. Prudence collects and arranges them, and uses them beneficially against the ills of life.”

Use Virtue Medicine Vices Poison Composition Prudence

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“...if use is not an appropriate criterion for decision making in the academic life, what is? Love. ...The virtues of love as a criterion for choosing a college major...it is not pretentious. "Use" is pretentious because it claims to know something about the future that it doesn't really know. Love is immediate... [love] guarantees that you will work to your highest potential...it is part of who you are, and not just something you think, often wrongly, that you can use.”

“Unclean spirits increase the passions in us, making use of our negligence, and inciting them. But the angels decrease our passions, inciting us to the perfection of virtue.”

Inspirational Use Christian Spirit Passion Religious Virtue Angel Perfection Increase Orthodox Decrease Negligence

Author:Maximus the Confessor

“One of the greatest artifices the devil uses to engage men in vice and debauchery, is to fasten names of contempt on certain virtues, and thus fill weak souls with a foolish fear of passing for scrupulous, should they desire to put them in practice.”

Men Should Soul Use Desire Certain Names Practice Virtue Devil Weak Vices Foolish Passing Passings Contempt Artifice Debauchery

Author:Blaise Pascal

“The Cross is a gibbet - rather an odd thing to make use of as a talisman against bad luck, if that is how we regard it. Or is it, instead, a cynical reminder that Virtue usually gets pilloried whenever it makes one of its occasional appearances in this world?”

Ifs World Use Virtue This World Crosses Regard Luck Appearance Odd Cynical Reminders Occasional Bad Luck Odd Things Talismans

Author:Denis Johnston

“I dislike the frequent use of the word virtue, instead of righteousness, in the pulpit; in prayer or preaching before a Christian community, it sounds too much like pagan philosophy.”

Philosophy Use Christian Sound Community Prayer Virtue Too Much Righteousness Dislike Preaching Pagan Pulpit Christian Community

Book:Coleridge's Aids to reflection: with the author's last corrections

Source: Coleridge's Aids to reflection: with the author's last corrections