Quotes About Integrity

The fruit does not make the tree good or bad but the tree itself is what determines the nature of the fruit. In the same way, a person first must be good or bad before doing a good or bad work.

It cannot, indeed, be denied, that a good man is more worthy of love than a bad one.

Speak not of what you know until you become that of which you speak, for a witch is what you are rather than something you do.

People can portray me anyway they want because I don't give a damn. I am what I am. And until those people touch me close enough, they'll never know who I am. If they don't want to see me in this interview or a newspaper article, and say "what's the matter with this guy?" Let'em say it. But don't you analyze me and don't you tell me what I am until you get close enough to understand what I am. Then you can make an analysis of me, but don't you dare do it until then.

We might knit that knot with our tongues that we shall never undo with our teeth.

Every yielding to temptation is a hindrance, not a help, to moral development; but every temptation offers what, rightly employed, is an indispensable means of moral development. For all moral development is through temptation to virtue.

There must be some honest lawyers at the New York bar, and some impartial judges on the New York bench, but I should not like to be set to find them.

The ideal of character always runs beyond the attainment.

Do not think that you can fight corruption without while you let corruption fester within.

There can be no virtue without temptation; for virtue is victory over temptation.

An untempted soul may be innocent, but cannot be virtuous, for virtue is the choice of right when wrong presses itself upon us and demands our choosing.

And the first thing that Christ says to us is this: Is that the kind of life you want to live? Is that the kind of person you want to be? Do you want to live in this world to see what you can get out of it, or do you want to live in this world to see what you can put into it?

It is true that wisdom has wealth in the one hand and pleasure in the other, that her ways are ways of pleasantness, her paths are paths of peace; but she will never come to one who follows her for the sake of the wealth in the one hand or the pleasure in the other.

We think if we can only take the temptation away from men, men will be virtuous. We are mistaken. Men are made virtuous by confronting temptation.

Never chase a lie. Let it alone, and it will run itself to death.

My mother is bold in her caused," George said. "We have never had a runaway slave come to our door, but I too would help him. My mother and I were forced to leave North Carolina when we freed our slaves. The anger our former neighbors and friends turned on us told us much. When a person does what is right, it stirs the rage of those who will not turn from doing the same evil.

tried to do you proud.

Compromise cannot be allowed in cases where the exact truth is ascertainable.

I have known kings and criminals. I prefer criminals. They cheat, steal and betray, but at least you don't have to worship them while they do it.

Luther describes how backbiters are like hyenas or dogs who dig up stinking human corpses, pullulating with decay and full of worms, and bite into them—"Ugh, what a dreadful monster the backbiter is!

Boys, I may not know much, but I know chicken shit from chicken salad.

While you're saving your face, you're losing your ass.

Gerry Ford is a nice guy, but he played too much football with his helmet off.

It's not doing what is right that's hard for a President. It's knowing what is right.