Quotes About Virtue

Goodness I call the habit, and goodness of nature, the inclination. This of all virtues, and dignities of the mind, is the greatest; being the character of the Deity: and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing; no better than a kind of vermin. Goodness answers to the theological virtue, charity, and admits no excess, but error.

All wise men, to decline the envy of their own virtues, use to ascribe them to Providence and Fortune; for so they may the better assume them: and, besides, it is greatness in a man, to be the care of the higher powers.

A man that hath no virtue in himself, ever envieth virtue in others. For men's minds, will either feed upon their own good, or upon others' evil; and who wanteth the one, will prey upon the other; and whoso is out of hope, to attain to another's virtue, will seek to come at even hand, by depressing another's fortune.

I cannot call riches better than the baggage of virtue. The Roman word is better, impedimenta. For as the baggage is to an army, so is riches to virtue.

It cannot be denied, but outward accidents conduce much to fortune; favor, opportunity, death of others, occasion fitting virtue. But chiefly, the mould of a man's fortune is in his own hands.

Well, for us, in history where goodness is a rare pearl, he who was good almost takes precedence over he who was great.

That which is given with pride and ostentation is rather an ambition than a bounty.

Much of the world's moral compass is broken. The moral north reads south and the moral south reads north.

I'm definitely not a bad guy in real life.

Humility's a real thing - not just a fine name for laziness.

Goodness is uneventful. It does not flash, it glows.

No one can be good for long if goodness is not in demand.

Wisdom has its root in goodness, not goodness its root in wisdom.

The chief beginning of evil is goodness in excess.

There is no true gracefulness which is not epitomized goodness.

Goodness is something that makes us serene and content; it is magnificent. Those who are not good are evil.

Evil is always possible. Goodness is a difficulty.

There can be goodness without much intelligence - but it seems to me that perfect intelligence and perfect goodness must go together.

You have to keep a feeling of goodness in your exteriors.

A man is great by deeds, not by birth.

Good actions are a guard against the blows of adversity.

My confidence comes from knowing I do the right things in my life. I do the right things in the gym. I do the right things all together.

Every once in a while someone without a single bad habit gets caught.

Conscience: self-esteem with a halo.