Quotes About Justification

Now there was no sign of any foul weather, but when one wishes to do a thing . . . one finds no lack of reasons for the doing.

Slavery existed in the African states, and it was sometimes used by Europeans to justify their own slave trade. But, as Davidson points out, the "slaves" of Africa were more like the serfs of Europe—in other words, like most of the population of Europe.

In the Mexican War, a skirmish between Mexican and American troops on the Texas-Mexico border led President Polk to state that "American blood has been shed on American soil," and to ask Congress for war. Actually, the encounter took place in disputed territory, and Polk's diary shows that he wanted an excuse for war so the United States could take from Mexico what the United States coveted, California and the whole Southwest.

No one HAS to do something he doesn't want to do for the rest of his life. But then again, if that's what you wind up doing, by all means convince yourself that you HAD to do it. You'll have lots of company.

Finding bad reasons for what one believes for other bad reasons -- that's philosophy.

I killed little Esmerelda because I felt I owed it to myself and to the world in general. I had, after all, accounted for two male children and thus done womankind something of a statistical favour. If I really had the courage of my convictions, I reasoned, I ought to redress the balance at least slightly. My cousin was simply the easiest and most obvious target.

I'm a bastard but even I don't kill my own people, unless it's absolutely necessary.

Why not? It's natural selection. Just like nature. I wrinkled my nose. Boudas love this argument, because it gives them an excuse to do all the wrong things. 'I'm sorry I screwed your sister and got my penis stuck in your German shepherd. It's in my nature. I just couldn't help myself.

Let me help, he said. You've been taught all your life that killing another person is wrong, and that belief persists even in the fact of facts. Not only would Peaches have killed us given the chance, but this way I only had to kill on person rather than kill half a dozen of his followers. I saved several live, but your conditioning tells you I've done the wrong thing. I didn't. He started it. I finished it.

I want young people to be hesitant to glorify war and to demand of their leaders justification for the sacrifices they ask of our citizens.

I've dealt with this forever: the younger woman that married the wealthier, older man. I mean, I'm tired of having to justify my 20-year marriage.

Everyone's constantly scrambling around trying to justify their own cruel behavior, trying to come up with psychological tricks to make themselves not feel bad.

I just can't take anyone who tries to justify a comment using foul language.

If you make a trilogy, the whole point is to get to that third chapter, and the third chapter is what justifies what's come before.

If a trip is worth taking, members of Congress should be prepared to justify paying for it out of their office accounts.

I have justified why I wanted to come to Manchester City because I have won trophies and improved.

Donald Trump can ultimately make the case for himself.

This is a world inhabited not by people who have to be persuaded to believe but by people who want an excuse to believe.

We are now so far advanced in our denial of evil that we want to rationalise it away.

It is a poor head that cannot find plausible reason for doing what the heart wants to do.

You can tell other people all the alibis you want. I don't mind. But to yourself try to be honest.

If stealing a few saltshakers was wrong I didn't want to be right.

He that has once concluded it lawful to resist power, when it wants merit, will soon find a want of merit, to justify his resistance to power.

One of the advantages of being a 'reasonable creature' is that one can find a reason for whatever one wants to do.