"An ignorant man, who is not fool enough to meddle with his clock, is however sufficiently confident to think he can safely take to pieces, and put together at his pleasure, a moral machine of another guise, importance and complexity, composed of far other wheels, and springs, and balances, and counteracting and co-operating powers. Men little think how immorally they act in rashly meddling with what they do not understand. Their delusive good intention is no sort of excuse for their presumption. They who truly mean well must be fearful of acting ill."

Ethics, Ignorance, Morality, Responsibility, Action

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"An ignorant man, who is not fool enough to meddle with his clock, is however sufficiently confident to think he can safely take to pieces, and put together at his pleasure, a moral machine of another guise, importance and complexity, composed of far other wheels, and springs, and balances, and counteracting and co-operating powers. Men little think how immorally they act in rashly meddling with what they do not understand. Their delusive good intention is no sort of excuse for their presumption. They who truly mean well must be fearful of acting ill."

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"And no one rose to ask the question: Good?-by what standard?John Galt."

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"Ethics are the things that say, 'Don't stick your finger in the socket.' The world says, 'It's okay because we've shut off the electricity.' And at the point that we've chosen to listen to the world and ignore our ethics, we say, 'I'm having a really hard time getting back up."

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"He that resolves to deal with none but honest men must leave off dealing."

Thomas Fuller, English Clergyman

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"When we constantly ask for miracles, we're unraveling the fabric of the world. A world of continuous miracles would not be a world, it would be a cartoon."

Doug Coupland, Canadian Author

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"Do not treat others as you would not like to be treated' frees one from hypocrisy. 'Treat others as you would like to be treated' enslaves one with insincerity."

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"Might could would-they are contemptible auxiliaries."

George Eliot, British Author

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"Let thy true religion be to act right."

Lailah Gifty Akita, Ghanaian Author

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"It's easy to talk big, but the important thing is whether or not you clean up the shit."

Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer

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"Being good is commendable, but only when it is combined with doing good is it useful."

Stephen King, American Author

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Explore more quotes by Edmund Burke

"He that struggles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper."

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"You can never plan the future by the past."

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"It is the nature of all greatness not to be exact."

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"It is the interest of the commercial world that wealth should be found everywhere."

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"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little."

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"Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."

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"Applause is the spur of noble minds, the end and aim of weak ones."

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"The arrogance of age must submit to be taught by youth."

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"No power so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear."

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"Never despair but if you do work on in despair."

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