There is no limit to how complicated things can get, on account of one thing always leading to another.
—E. B. White (1985–99) American Essayist, Humorist
The sower may mistake and sow his peas crookedly: the peas make no mistake, but come up and show his line.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
Every great decision creates ripples—like a huge boulder dropped in a lake. The ripples merge, rebound off the banks in unforseeable ways. The heavier the decision, the larger the waves, the more uncertain the consequences.
—Ben Aaronovitch (b.1964) English Screenwriter, Novelist
Nothing is worth doing unless the consequences may be serious.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Remember one thing about democracy. We can have anything we want and at the same time, we always end up with exactly what we deserve.
—Edward Albee (1928–2016) American Playwright
The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.
—Japanese Proverb
When you feel deeply that a certain act is the right act, do it and have perfect faith that the consequences will be good.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
All successful men have agreed in being causationists; they believed that things were not by luck, but by law—that there was not a weak or cracked link in the chain that joins the first and last of things—the cause and effect.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
With every deed you are sowing a seed, though the harvest you may not see.
—Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850–1919) American Poet, Journalist
For every life and every act consequence of good and evil can be shown and as in time results of many deeds are blended so good and evil in the end become confounded.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children… This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American Head of State, Military Leader
Because right is right, to follow right were wisdom, in the scorn of consequence.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
Charisma becomes the undoing of leaders. It makes them inflexible, convinced of their own infallibility, unable to change.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important … they do not mean to do harm … they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
The secret of the world is the tie between person and event. Person makes event and event person.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Every choice carries a consequence. For better or worse, each choice is the unavoidable consequence of its predecessor. There are not exceptions. If you can accept that a bad choice carries the seed of its own punishment, why not accept the fact that a good choice yields desirable fruit?
—Gary Ryan Blair
In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law … That would lead to anarchy. An individual who breaks a law that his conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
We must remember that hatred is like acid. It does more damage to the vessel in which it is stored than to the object on which it is poured.
—Ask Ann Landers (1918–2002) American Advice Columnist
Every act of virtue is an ingredient unto reward.
—Jeremy Taylor
But men never violate the laws of God without suffering the consequences, sooner or later.
—Lydia Maria Child (1802–80) American Abolitionist, Writer
Their mothers had finally caught up to them and been proven right. There were consequences after all but they were the consequences to things you didn’t even know you’d done.
—Margaret Atwood (b.1939) Canadian Writer, Poet, Critic
While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
You can do anything in this world if you are prepares to take the consequences.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit.
—James Lane Allen (1849–1925) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
The consequences of an act affect the probability of its occurring again.
—B. F. Skinner (1904–90) American Psychologist, Author
Long-term planning is not about making long-term decisions, it is about understanding the future consequences of today’s decisions.
—Gary Ryan Blair
Don’t be misled: no one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
No doing without some ruing.
—Sigrid Undset (1882–1949) Norwegian Novelist
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