In his present life a wise man who is perfectly equipped with morality is always honoured. After his death he will enter into the realm of bliss. He is thus blessed with rejoice everywhere.
—Buddhist Teaching
The person who still blushes is not yet a degenerate.
—Owen D. Young (1874–1962) American Businessperson, Lawyer, Diplomat
I saw that all beings are fated to happiness: action is not life, but a way of wasting some force, an enervation. Morality is the weakness of the brain.
—Arthur Rimbaud (1854–91) French Poet, Adventurer
I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
We practically always excuse things when we understand them
—Mikhail Lermontov (1814–41) Russian Novelist, Poet
We have, in fact, two kinds of morality side by side; one which we preach but do not practice and another which we practice but seldom preach.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
Do study the law of Morality. With morality veil studied and observed in this world come all kinds of wealth.
—Buddhist Teaching
Morality, when vigorously alive, sees farther than intellect, and provides unconsciously for intellectual difficulties.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
Neither can the Vedas be of real help in the hereafter, nor can his birth nor relatives. Only his flawless morality can bring about the happiness in the hereafter.
—Buddhist Teaching
Morality comes with the sad wisdom of age, when the sense of curiosity has withered.
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
A hundred years of an immoral and wavering person is not worth one day of a person who practises morality and concentration.
—Buddhist Teaching
Unfortunately, moral beauty in art — like physical beauty in a person — is extremely perishable. It is nowhere so durable as artistic or intellectual beauty. Moral beauty has a tendency to decay very rapidly into sententiousness or untimeliness.
—Susan Sontag (1933–2004) American Writer, Philosopher
Precept is the first refuge, the source and the chief of all other virtues. Therefore let it be purified.
—Buddhist Teaching
The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
To set up as a standard of public morality a notion which can neither be defined nor conceived is to open the door to every kind of tyranny.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right.
—Isaac Asimov (1920–92) Russian-born American Writer, Scientist
A learned man who is firm in his morality is praised both for his morality and learning.
—Buddhist Teaching
Two things fill the mind with ever increasing wonder and awe. The more often and the more intensely the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness.
—Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Prussian German Philosopher, Logician
An immoral person usually heaps blame and disgrace upon himself, while one who acts in accordance with the law of morality will always receive admiration and respect.
—Buddhist Teaching
It’s morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money.
—W. C. Fields (1880–1946) American Actor, Comedian, Writer
Morality is only moral when it is voluntary.
—Lincoln Steffens (1846–1936) American Journalist, Academic, Political Philosopher
One who practises morality, having his words and deeds well-controlled, will be befriended by many, while one who does not behave himself in accordance with morality, who is given to immoral conduct, will be shut off from his friend.
—Buddhist Teaching
The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live.
—Ayn Rand (1905–82) Russian-born American Novelist, Philosopher, Playwright, Screenwriter
Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Children lack morality, but they also lack fake morality.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
The true meaning of religion is thus, not simply morality, but morality touched by emotion.
—Matthew Arnold (1822–88) English Poet, Critic
What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
When we start deceiving ourselves into thinking not that we want something or need something, not that it is a pragmatic necessity for us to have it, but that it is a moral imperative that we have it, then is when we join the fashionable madmen, and then is when the thin whine of hysteria is heard in the land, and then is when we are in bad trouble.
—Joan Didion (b.1934) American Essayist, Novelist, Memoirist
Don’t say you don’t have enough time.
You have exactly the same number of hours per day
that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur,
Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci,
Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
—H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (b.1940) American Self-Help Author
Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time. I must continue to bear testimony to truth even if I am forsaken by all. Mine may today be a voice in the wilderness, but it will be heard when all other voices are silenced, if it is the voice of Truth.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
The better one is morally the less aware they are of their virtue.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
The quality of moral behavior varies in inverse ratio to the number of human beings involved.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
Modern morality and manners suppress all natural instincts, keep people ignorant of the facts of nature and make them fighting drunk on bogey tales.
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) English Occultist, Mystic, Magician
However great an evil immorality may be, we must not forget that it is not without its beneficial consequences. It is only through extremes that men can arrive at the middle path of wisdom and virtue.
—Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835) German Philosopher, Linguist, Statesman
Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. So aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
If a wise man hopes for the threefold enjoyment of fame, wealth and happiness in the hereafter, let him sincerely practise morality.
—Buddhist Teaching
There are few things more disturbing than to find, in somebody we detest, a moral quality which seems to us demonstrably superior to anything we ourselves possess. It augurs not merely an unfairness on the part of creation, but a lack of artistic judgment. Sainthood is acceptable only in saints.
—Pamela Hansford Johnson (1912–81) English Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Literary Critic, Social Critic
Never will a person of good conduct be blamed as long as he observes the eight precepts and keeps on making merits which is conducive to happiness. Such a person, equipped with morality, is sure to enter into the Realm of Bliss.
—Buddhist Teaching
The essence of morality is a questioning about morality; and the decisive move of human life is to use ceaselessly all light to look for the origin of the opposition between good and evil.
—Georges Bataille (1897–1962) French Essayist, Intellectual
A set of rules laid out by professionals to show the way they would like to act if it was profitable.
—Frank Lane (1896–1981) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
Morals are in all countries the result of legislation and government; they are not African or Asian or European: they are good or bad.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
He has his words, deeds and thoughts well-controlled. He never commits a sin nor talks non- sense for his own sake. Such a person is called “one who is endowed with morality”.
—Buddhist Teaching
Ordinary morality is only for ordinary people.
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) English Occultist, Mystic, Magician
A fool who is fickle in his practising morality is always blamed. He will even regret after his death. He is always doomed to misery.
—Buddhist Teaching