Quotes About Principle

Honesty is not only "the first step toward greatness," - it is greatness itself.

Let common sense and common honesty have fair play, and they will soon set things to rights.

Even in the business of corporations honesty is the best policy, and the companies that have acted in accordance with the highest standard, other things being equal, have reaped the richest harvest.

It is a fine thing to be honest, but it is also very important to be right.

It is never right to do wrong or to requite wrong with wrong, or when we suffer evil to defend ourselves by doing evil in return.

Honesty is a question of right and wrong, not a matter of policy

I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy.

To strictest justice many ills belong, And honesty is often in the wrong.

Honesty is the cornerstone of character.

Honesty is a selfish virtue. Yes I am honest enough.

'tis his honesty that brought upon him the character of a heretic.

Honesty is the best policy, says the familiar axiom; but people who are honest on that principle defraud no one but themselves.

We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously ceases to be honesty.

Honesty will be found on every experiment, to be the best and only true policy; let us then as a Nation be just.

Absolute honesty is as absurd an abstraction as an absolute temperature or an absolute value.

Were there no heaven nor hell I should be honest.

Find a strong glue and stick yourself to honesty! You shall feel like a wind, so light and so free!

The trite saying that honesty is the best policy has met with the just criticism that honesty is not policy. The real honest man is honest from conviction of what is right, not from policy.

Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.

He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.

There is a true glory and a true honor: the glory of duty done--the honor of the integrity of principle.

I don't believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstance. It says what it says. We should do honor to it.

Never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.

If there is one thing the past years have taught us, it is the importance of a keen and high sense of honor in those who handle our governmental affairs.