Quotes About Motive

Vincent Bugliosi

Vincent Bugliosi

Though a good motive cannot sanction a bad action, a bad motive will always vitiate a good action. In common and trivial matters we may act without motives, but in momentous ones the most careful deliberation is wisdom.

End justifies the means

How is always less important than why.

The scream that shatters through the house has motive force, pivoting Libby away from the window

I can't think of one reason big enough for them to lie and small enough for it not to matter.

These three steps offer a classic presentation of the way people are often led to do wrong: Exaggerate, then denigrate the other side's motive, then promise a reward.

Indeed, the exclusion of Purpose is convenient to the elimination of conscience.

The spirit in which you do something is often as important as the act itself

A man always has two reasons for doing anything -- a good reason and the real reason.

A man always has two reasons for what he doesa good one, and the real one.

A man generally has two reasons for doing a thing. One that sounds good, and a real one.

We must not only do what is right. We must act for the right reasons. The modern term is good motive. The scriptures often signify this appropriate mental attitude with the words full purpose of heart or real intent. The scriptures make clear that God understands our motives and will judge our actions accordingly.

Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes BY ALFIE KOHN

The only enduring motive for prayer is that our never-changing God is worthy to be sought. This

I don't necessarily find superheroes in general, for me, that appealing. I'd much prefer to play, if I was to be cast in a superhero film, I'd prefer to play the villain because there's a reason, there's a motive behind their madness.

The virtues and vices are all put in motion by interest.

A murder was never about brawn, it began and ended in the brain and the brain could justify anything.

Perhaps the feeling stemmed from

most people who offer their help do it to make themselves feel better, not us.

Now, 'tis e'er the wont of simple folk to prize the deed and o'erlook the motive, and of learned folk to discount the deed and lay open the soul of the doer. Burlingame declared the difference 'twixt sour pessimist and proper gentleman lies just here: that one will judge good deeds by a morality of the motive and ill by a morality of deed, and so condemn the twain together, whereas your gentleman doth the reverse, and hath always grounds to pardon his wayward fellows.

Are we truly acting from principle and not from interest? Surely it is at least convenient that for us the two coincide.

Until you find a cause you can die for, you are not worthy to live.