Quotes About Morality

Is there any one maxim which ought to be acted upon throughout one's whole life? Surely the maxim of loving kindness is such: Do not unto others what you would not they should do unto you.

In the presence of a good man, think all the time how you may learn to equal him. In the presence of a bad man, turn your gaze within!

What the superior man seeks is in himself. What the mean man seeks is in others.

A young man's duty is to behave well to his parents at home and to his elders abroad.

A man whoTreats his betters as betters,Wears an air of respect,Who into serving father and motherKnows how to put his whole strength,Who in the service of his prince will lay down his life,Who in intercourse with friends is true to his word—others may say of him that he still lacks education, but I for my part should certainly call him an educated man.

Moral force never dwells in solitude; it will always bring neighbors.

He who rules by moral force is like the pole-star, which remains in its place while all the lesser stars do homage to it.

Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.

Neither the knight who has truly the heart of a knight nor the man of good stock who has the qualities that belong to good stock will ever seek life at the expense of Goodness; and it may be that he has to give his life in order to achieve Goodness.

Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.

The object of the superior man is truth.

Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you.

To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.

Goodness is more to the people than water and fire. I have seen men lose their lives when "treading upon" water and fire; but I have never seen anyone lose his life through "treading upon" Goodness.

Is Goodness indeed so far away? If we really wanted Goodness, we should find that it was at our very side.

He whose wisdom brings him into power, needs Goodness to secure that power. Else, though he get it, he will certainly lose it.

I for my part have never yet seen one who really cared for Goodness, nor one who really abhorred wickedness. One who really cared for Goodness would never let any other consideration come first. One who abhorred wickedness would be so constantly doing Good that wickedness would never have a chance to get at him.

He who merely knows right principles is not equal to him who loves them.

The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.

The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration.

The perfecting of one's self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.

To see what is right, and not do it, is want of courage, or of principle.

To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.

Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.