I know no friends more faithful and more inseparable than hard-heartedness and pride, humility and love, lies and impudence.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
When Mandeville maintained that private vices were public benefits, he did not calculate the widely destructive influence of bad example. To affirm that a vicious man is only his own enemy is about as wise as to affirm that a virtuous man is only his own friend.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Vices and frailties correct each other, like acids and alkalies. If each vicious man had but one vice, I do not know how the world could go on.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
How like herrings and onions our vices are in the morning after we have committed them.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
Vice is a creature of such hideous mien… that the more you see it the better you like it.
—Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936) American Humorist, Journalist, Creator of “Mr. Dooley”
Virtue seems to be nothing more than a motion consonant to the system of things; were a planet to fly from its orbit it would represent a vicious man.
—William Shenstone (1714–63) British Poet, Landscape Gardener
What were once vices are the fashion of the day.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Every vice has its excuse ready.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
If he does really think that there is no distinction between virtue and vice, why, Sir, when he leaves our houses let us count our spoons.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The worst vice of a fanatic is his sincerity.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Vice goes a long way tow’rd makin’ life bearable. A little vice now an’ thin is relished by th’ best iv men.
—Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936) American Humorist, Journalist, Creator of “Mr. Dooley”
When our vices have left us we flatter ourselves that we have left them.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Our faith comes in moments; our vice is habitual.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Think no vice so small that you may commit it, and no virtue so small that you may over look it.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Loud indignation against vice often stands for virtue in the eyes of bigots.
—Jean Antoine Petit-Senn (1792–1870) French-Swiss Lyric Poet
Vice stirs up war, virtue fights.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
He that has energy enough in his constitution to root out a vice should go a little farther, and try to plant a virtue in its place, otherwise he will have his labor to renew; a strong soil that has produced weeds, may be made to produce wheat with far less difficulty than it would cost to make it produce nothing.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
Vices are their own punishment.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
Vices are contagious, and there is no trusting the well and sick together.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
What we call vice in our neighbor may be nothing less than a crude virtue. To him who knows nothing more of precious stones than he can learn from a daily contemplation of his breastpin, a diamond in the mine must be a very uncompromising sort of stone.
—William Gilmore Simms (1806–70) American Poet, Historian, Novelist, Editor
It is good to be without vices, but it is not good to be without temptations.
—Walter Bagehot (1826–77) English Economist, Journalist
Do not pay too much attention to the advice or suggestions of those around you.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
Never support two weaknesses at the same time. It’s your combination sinners—your lecherous liars and your miserly drunkards—who dishonor the vices and bring them into bad repute.
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) American Novelist, Playwright
The good make a better bargain, and the bad a worse, than is usually supposed; for the rewards of the one, and the punishments of the other not unfrequently begin on this side of the grave; for vice has more martyrs than virtue; and it often happens that men suffer more to be damned than to be saved.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
A society composed of none but the wicked could not exist; it contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction, and, without a flood, would be swept away from the earth by the deluge of its own iniquity. The moral cement of all society is virtue; it unites and preserves, while vice separates and destroys. The good may well be termed the salt of the earth, for where there is no integrity there can be no confidence; and where there is no confidence there can be no unanimity.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Gluttony is not a secret vice.
—Orson Welles (1915–85) American Film Director, Actor
Men imagine that they communicate their virtue or vice only by overt actions, and do not see that virtue or vice emit a breath every moment.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The function of vice is to keep virtue within reasonable bounds.
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902) British Victorian Novelist, Essayist, Critic
One big vice in a man is apt to keep out a great many smaller ones.
—Bret Harte (1836–1902) American Short Story Writer, Poet
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