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-born British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
Everyone will experience the consequences of his own acts. If his act are right, he’ll get good consequences; if they’re not, he’ll suffer for it.
—Harry Browne (1933–2006) American Politician, Investor, Writer
Whatever our creed, we feel that no good deed can by any possibility go unrewarded, no evil deed unpunished.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
He that does good to another, does good also to himself, not only in the consequences, but in the very act; for the consciousness of well doing is, in itself, ample reward.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
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-born British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
There are no rewards or punishments—only consequences.
—William Motter Inge (1913–73) American Playwright, Novelist
In history an additional result is commonly produced by human actions beyond that which they aim at and obtain—that which they immediately recognize and desire. They gratify their own interest; but something further is thereby accomplished, latent in the actions in question, though not present to their consciousness, and not included in their design.
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) German Philosopher
Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit.
—James Lane Allen (1849–1925) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Consequences are unpitying.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
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
Perhaps his might be one of the natures where a wise estimate of consequences is fused in the fires of that passionate belief which determines the consequences it believes in.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
No doing without some ruing.
—Sigrid Undset (1882–1949) Norwegian Novelist
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
Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
—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
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
But men never violate the laws of God without suffering the consequences, sooner or later.
—Lydia Maria Child (1802–80) American Abolitionist, Writer
The consequences of an act affect the probability of its occurring again.
—B. F. Skinner (1904–90) American Psychologist, Social Philosopher, Inventor, Author
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
Because right is right, to follow right were wisdom, in the scorn of consequence.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
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
In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments—there are consequences.
—Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–99) American Lawyer, Orator, Agnostic
A human being fashions his consequences as surely as he fashions his goods or his dwelling his goods or his dwelling. Nothing that he says, thinks or does is without consequences.
—Norman Cousins (1915–90) American Journalist, Author, Academic, Activist
As a twig is bent the tree inclines.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
Everything we do has a result. But that which is right and prudent does not always lead to good, nor the contrary to what is bad.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.
—Japanese Proverb
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
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