Quotes About Virtuous

Moreover, the bureaucracy will be of the noblest and most virtuous sort, with no personal, political, or ideological agenda, motivated solely and completely by its technical know-how in and public-spiritedness for the general good and welfare.

In you is the glorious power to heal, to love and to protect what is virtuous and honorable in life.

Meanwhile, I watch and work up my rage at men, who can be villainous to all, but virtuous to some. Watching them be kind to children should make me think of them as better men, but it make them worse, for no other wicked is more wicked than choosing with who you dole out kindness.

A truth that's told with bad intent Beats all the lies you can invent. William Blake, 1757-1827, 'Auguries of Innocence' Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10

One apocryphal tale describes how a virtuous plebeian, the aptly named Marcus Caedicius ('disaster teller'), heard the voice of some unknown god warning him that Gauls were approaching, but his report was ignored because of his lowly status. It turned out to be a lesson for the patricians – learned the hard way – that the gods communicated with plebeians too.

American presidential politics is entirely based on the myth that a perfect, omniscient, virtuous and incorruptible saviour will emerge from the New Hampshire primary every four years, and proceed to lead his people to the promised land.

Your overriding goal in getting up to speed and taking charge is to generate momentum by creating virtuous cycles, and to avoid getting caught in vicious cycles that damage your credibility. Leadership ultimately is about influence and leverage.

My hate is general, I detest all men; Some because they are wicked and do evil, Others because they tolerate the wicked, Refusing them the active vigorous scorn Which vice should stimulate in virtuous minds.

Realism about human beings nonetheless compels us to recognize that logical rigor and philosophical soundness carry little weight in civic discourse. They simply cannot stir up sufficient fervor, at least not among a large enough population, to drive mass movements. These movements, even the most virtuous, apparently need a dose of irrationalism to keep going.

Mentalizing virtuously means being authentically interested and curious in exploring the richness of possible realities. Active questioning expresses curiosity, but should not be expected to yield an unequivocal answer, but progress towards a conceptualization of alternatives (Skårderud and Fonagy 2012

The good which proceeds from a false basis (and such a case can happen in times of upheaval) is a very real evil for the entire society. It encourages the factious, not in this respect, that they search for the good, but rather because the deceitful appeal of that good delivers over to them virtuous men and makes them their accomplices.