"And again, though we cannot prove, we feel, that we are deathless. We perceive that life is not like those dramas so beloved by the people-in which every villain is punished, and every act of virtue meets with its reward; we learn anew every day that the wisdom of the serpent fares better here than the gentleness of the dove, and that any thief can triumph if he steals enough. If mere worldly utility and expediency were the justification of virtue, it would not be wise to be too good. And yet, knowing all this, having it flung into our faces with brutal repetition, we still feel the command to righteousness, we know that we ought to do the inexpedient good."

Morality, Wisdom, Experience, Life, Truth

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"And again, though we cannot prove, we feel, that we are deathless. We perceive that life is not like those dramas so beloved by the people-in which every villain is punished, and every act of virtue meets with its reward; we learn anew every day that the wisdom of the serpent fares better here than the gentleness of the dove, and that any thief can triumph if he steals enough. If mere worldly utility and expediency were the justification of virtue, it would not be wise to be too good. And yet, knowing all this, having it flung into our faces with brutal repetition, we still feel the command to righteousness, we know that we ought to do the inexpedient good."

Exlpore more Morality quotes

"We perhaps know more than we care to admit, keeping it down in the dark places of our memory-disavowed. When we eat factory-farmed meat we live, literally, on tortured flesh. Increasingly, that tortured flesh is becoming our own."

Jonathan Safran Foer, American Novelist

Morality, Suffering, Memory, Ethics, Animals

"The Ten Commandments are the most visible symbol because these commandments are recognized by Christians and Jews alike as being the foundation of our system of public morality."

Pat Robertson, American Clergyman

Morality, Being, Public, Symbol

"On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time."

George Orwell, British Author

Morality, Humanity, Behavior, Limit

"The monks used to say that he was more drawn to those who were more sinful, and the greater the sinner the more he loved him."

Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russian Novelist

Morality, Sin, Love, Compassion

"Every good act is like a seed that we sow. We don't know what it will bear, but it will bear some fruit some day."

R.V.M., Indian Author

Morality, Goodness, Hope, Action, Patience

"Morality is the custom of one's country and the current feeling of one's peers."

Samuel Butler, British Poet

Morality, Country, Custom, Feeling

"In silence, an act is an act is an act. Verbalized and discussed, it becomes an ethical problem ..."

Aldous Huxley, English Novelist

Morality, Action, Ethics, Silence, Word

"Humility is a virtue of the heavenly, not arrogance. Are we the most superior beast on earth? No, not in strength and not in intelligence. It is very arrogant to assume that we are the most intelligent species when we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Both rats and monkeys have been shown to learn from error, yet we have not. More people have died in the name of religion than any other cause on earth. Is massacring God's creations really serving God " or the devil? And what father would want to see his children constantly divided and fighting? What God would allow a single human life to be sacrificed for monetary gain? Again, the Creator or the devil?"

Suzy Kassem, American Writer

Morality, Humility, Arrogance, Superiority, Intelligence

"If all of our sins, bad habits, and poor choices were permanently inked into our skin like tattoos, we would all dress quite modestly."

Richelle E. Goodrich, American Poet

Morality, Sin, Truth, Regret, Habit

"Don't do the right thing for the wrong reasons. It is the "why" that keeps us committed to our choices and defines our character."

Shannon L. Alder, American Author

Morality, Right, Reason, Commitment, Character

Explore more quotes by Will Durant

"Every form of government tends to perish by excess of its basic principle."

Government

"The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds."

People

"Nobody loves a policeman until he needs one."

Society

"Civilization is the order and freedom is promoting cultural activity."

Civilization

"Hence I think it is that democracies change into aristocracies, and these at length into monarchies,' people at last prefer tyranny to chaos. Equality of power is an unstable condition; men are by nature unequal; and 'he who seeks equality between unequals seeks an absurdity.' Democracy has still to solve the problem of enlisting the best energies of men while giving to all alike the choice of those, among the trained and fit, by whom they wish to be ruled."

Politics

"When liberty destroys order the hunger for order will destroy liberty."

Politics

"We must steel ourselves against utopias and be content with a slightly better state."

Philosophy

"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."

Knowledge

"Fear of death, wonder at the causes of chance events or unintelligible happenings, hope for divine aid and gratitude for good fortune, cooperated to generate religious belief."

Spiritual

"Nothing is often a good thing to do and always a good thing to say."

Wisdom