Quotes About Virtue

As Chesterton once put it unkindly, 'Tolerance is the virtue of people who do not believe anything.

The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.

I think each of us who deals in any way with things which are creative and things which are going to be read or looked at or heard by the public, needs always to test himself by the eighth verse in the fourth chapter of Philippians: 'Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful. —C. S. Lewis

As I come to the end of my advice and send you off into the world, I have an alternative way for you to stay on the straight and narrow: periodically watch Groundhog Day. It was made long ago, in 1993, but it's still smart and funny, the chemistry between the stars (Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell) is terrific, and it has a happy ending. Groundhog Day is also a profound moral fable that deals with the most fundamental issues of virtue and happiness.

All the other virtues, and the living of a virtuous life, depend on them. If you took an introductory philosophy course in college, they were probably translated from the Greek as courage, justice, temperance, and prudence.

interpretando como estupidez lo que era un rasgo de la bondad de su alma.

As evil grows through many small acts of wrongdoing, good develops as we continue to do what is right before God and others.

Johnson well says, "He who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything." Life is made up of little things. It is very rarely that an occasion is offered for doing a great deal at once. True greatness consists in being great in little things.

Many things lawful are not expedient, but nothing can be truly expedient which is unlawful or sinful.

The last part, the part you're now approaching, was for Aristotle the most important for happiness.

they are able to forgive themselves, as a wise man once said, for being human. That is knowing that life is hard and virtue rare, they keep the ancient faith that it is better to love than to hate, to live fully even if imperfectly.

S. Lewis, coined the phrase "The

As we seek what is possible, we must also seek what is right, and we must not forget that even the most noble ends do not justify any means.

Consistency, madam, is the first of Christian duties.

Human beings who leave behind them no great achievements, but only a series of small kindnesses, have not had wasted lives

Human beings are basically good, kind, and compassionate, but it takes hard digging to uncover that buried jewel.

The adjectives and derivatives based on woman's distinctions are alien and derogatory when applied to human affairs; "effeminate"--too female, connotes contempt, but has no masculine analogue; whereas "emasculate"--not enough male, is a term of reproach, and has no feminine analogue. 'Virile'--manly, we oppose to 'puerile'--childish, and the very world 'virtue' is derived from 'vir'--a man.

Without temptation, there was no virtue in resistance.

Because knowledge is not for showing off. If I do good work, people should notice me.

Blessed are those who thirst after righteousness.

We have an abundance of "statistics of crime," but no statistics of virtue.

My dear boy... anybody can be good in the country.

The Art of getting Riches consists very much in Thrift. All Men are not equally qualified for getting Money, but it is in the Power of every one alike to practise this Virtue.