Every crime will bring remorse to the man who committed it.
—Juvenal (c.60–c.136 CE) Roman Poet
Like art and politics, gangsterism is a very important avenue of assimilation into society.
—E. L. Doctorow (1931–2015) American Novelist, Editor, Professor
A thief believes everybody steals.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor
Heaven will permit no man to secure happiness by crime.
—Vittorio Alfieri (1749–1803) Italian Poet, Dramatist
Just see how it glints and sparkles. Of course it is a nucleus and focus of crime. Every good stone is. They are the devil’s pet baits.
—Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish Writer
We cannot be sure that we ought not to regard the most criminal country as that which in some aspects possesses the highest civilization.
—Havelock Ellis (1859–1939) British Essayist, Physician
As there is a use in medicine for poisons, so the world cannot move without rogues.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
As for an authentic villain, the real thing, the absolute, the artist, one rarely meets him even once in a lifetime. The ordinary bad hat is always in part a decent fellow.
—Colette (1873–1954) French Novelist, Performer
Almost all crime is due to the repressed desire for aesthetic expression.
—Evelyn Waugh (1903–66) British Novelist, Essayist, Biographer
A first impulse was never a crime.
—Pierre Corneille (1606–84) French Poet, Dramatist
A burglar who respects his art always takes his time before taking anything else.
—O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) (1862–1910) American Writer of Short Stories
Crime and punishment grow out of one stem. Punishment is a fruit that, unsuspected, ripens with the flower of the pleasure that concealed it.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
One crime has to be concealed by another.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Locks keep out only the honest.
—Hebrew Proverb
Save a thief from the gallows and he will cut your throat.
—Common Proverb
The greatest crime in the world is not developing your potential. When you do what you do best, you are helping not only yourself, but the world.
—Roger Williams (1603–83) English-Born American Baptist Theologian
One crime is everything; two nothing.
—Dorothee Luzy Dotinville (1747–1830) French Dancer, Actress
He that is robbed, not wanting what is stolen, him not know t, and he’s not robbed at all.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Fear follows crime, and is its punishment.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
All, all is theft, all is unceasing and rigorous competition in nature; the desire to make off with the substance of others is the foremost—the most legitimate—passion nature has bred into us and, without doubt, the most agreeable one.
—Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) French Writer
Today more Americans are imprisoned for drug offenses than for property crimes.
—George Will (b.1941) American Columnist, Author, Commentator
Abscond. To “move” in a mysterious way, commonly with the property of another.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
There is no den in the wide world to hide a rogue.—Commit a crime and the earth is made of glass.—Commit a crime, and it seems as if a coat of snow fell on the ground, such as reveals in the woods the track of every partridge, and fox, and squirrel.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Locks keep out only the honest.
—Yiddish Proverb
Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Great thieves punish little ones.
—Common Proverb
For the credit of virtue it must be admitted that the greatest evils which befall mankind are caused by their crimes.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
How vainly shall we endeavor to repress crime by our barbarous punishment of the poorer class of criminals so long as children are reared in the brutalizing influences of poverty, so long as the bite of want drives men to crime.
—Henry George (1839–97) American Political Economist, Journalist
If crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?
—George Carlin (1937–2008) American Stand-Up Comedian
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