Quotes About Ethics

Be a boxer, not a gladiator, in the way you act on your principles. The gladiator takes up his sword only to put it down again, but the boxer is never without his fist and only has to clinch it.

Whatsoever any man either doth or saith, thou must be good; not for any man's sake, but for thine own nature's sake; as if either gold, or the emerald, or purple, should ever be saying to themselves, Whatsoever any man either doth or saith, I must still be an emerald, and I must keep my colour.

Time was that wherever forsaken I was a man well-portioned; but that man well-portioned is he that has given himself a good portion; and good portions are good phases of the soul, good impulses, good actions.

Make it not any longer a matter of dispute or discourse, what are the signs and properties of a good man, but really and actually be such.

A man should be upright, not be kept upright.

Qui una sola cosa ha valore: trascorrere tutta la vita nella verità e nella giustizia pur trattando con indulgenza i bugiardi e gli ingiusti.

Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.

El libre albedrio de mi prójimo es igualmente indiferente a mi libre albedrio como su soplo y su carne. Puesto que, aunque en realidad unos nacimos para los otros, la recta razón de cada uno posee su propia independencia; de no ser así la maldad del prójimo vendría a ser un mal para mi. Pero Dios no lo ha decretado así, por que de lo contrario estaría en manos de otro el que yo fuera desgraciado.

Há fulanos que quando fazem algum favor a alguém estão logo prontos para lançar no livro de contas o agradecimento devido.

Put an end once for all to this discussion of what a good man should be, and be one.

The best revenge is to be unlike your enemy.

Die Aufgabe des Lebens besteht nicht darin, auf der Seite einer Mehrzahl zu stehen, sondern dem inneren Gesetz gemäß zu leben.

Be not whirled aside; but in every impulse fulfil the claims of justice, and in every impression safeguard certainty.

Waste no time arguing what a good man should be; Be one.

become aware of the fact that I needed amendment and training for my character;

For if a man fix his mind upon certain things as really and unquestionably good, such as wisdom, temperance, justice, manliness, with this preconception in his mind he could no longer bear to listen to the poet's, By reason of his wealth of goods; for it would not apply. But, if a man first fix his mind upon the things which appear good to the multitude, he will listen and readily accept as aptly added the quotation from the Comic Poet.

The best way of avenging yourself is not to become like the wrongdoer.

we must not think as all men think, but only as those who live a life accordant with nature. As for those who live otherwise, he remembers always how they act at home and abroad, by night and by day, and how and with whom they are found in company. And so he cannot esteem the praise of such, for they enjoy not their own approbation.

Consider constantly what manner of men they are whose approbation you desire, and what may be the character of their souls.

If it is not right do not do it, if it is not true do not say it.

Što god itko u?ini ili kaže, ja moram biti dobar ?ovjek. Kao da smaragd, ili zlato, ili purpur, neprekidno govore: ''Što god itko u?ini ili kaže, moram biti smaragd i o?uvati vlastitu boju.

Liebgott stuck the Luger between the mayor's eyes and pulled the trigger. The Luger misfired. Right when it clicked, this German went off running down the road. Speirs said, 'Shoot him.' One of our men shot and missed. I shot about thirty feet over the mayor's head. Another man brought him down. I won't say who. --Don Bond

The book of Proverbs makes the same point: Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor him. (14.31)

Righteous people are those who do what is right.