Virtue Quotes

My parents and grandparents have always been engaged in teaching or the medical profession or the priesthood, so I've sort of grown up with a sense of complicity in the lives of other people, so there's no virtue in that; it's the way one is raised.

There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents.

He that has energy enough to root out a vice should go further, and try to plant a virtue in its place.

Old age adds to the respect due to virtue, but it takes nothing from the contempt inspired by vice; it whitens only the hair.

Anyone entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue, no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people.

A man's indebtedness is not virtue; his repayment is. Virtue begins when he dedicates himself actively to the job of gratitude.

Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.

Women are degraded by the propensity to enjoy the present moment, and, at last, despise the freedom which they have not sufficient virtue to struggle to attain.

Modesty is a vastly overrated virtue.

There are men whom a happy disposition, a strong desire of glory and esteem, inspire with the same love for justice and virtue which men in general have for riches and honors... But the number of these men is so small that I only mention them in honor of humanity.

In England the only homage which they pay to Virtue - is hypocrisy.

In its conception the literature prize belongs to days when a writer could still be thought of as, by virtue of his or her occupation, a sage, someone with no institutional affiliations who could offer an authoritative word on our times as well as on our moral life.

Confidentiality is a virtue of the loyal, as loyalty is the virtue of faithfulness.

To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for all of us; and surely it is a good haven to sail for.

Saudi Arabia is a puritanical state that claims a monopoly of wisdom and virtue.

Wisdom alone is true ambition's aim, wisdom is the source of virtue and of fame; obtained with labour, for mankind employed, and then, when most you share it, best enjoyed.

What most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy.

They act as if they supposed that to be very sanguine about the general improvement of mankind is a virtue that relieves them from taking trouble about any improvement in particular.

Women's virtue is frequently nothing but a regard to their own quiet and a tenderness for their reputation.

In a state therefore of great equality and virtue, where pure and simple manners prevailed, the increase of the human species would evidently be much greater than any increase that has been hitherto known.

Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man's own will.

We are apt to love praise, but not deserve it. But if we would deserve it, we must love virtue more than that.

Silence is the virtue of fools.

Virtue has a veil, vice a mask.

Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue.

Virtue consists, not in abstaining from vice, but in not desiring it.

There's no credit in not doing what you don't want to do. There's no virtue in not falling, when you're not tempted.

Virtue is simply happiness, and happiness is a by-product of function. You are happy when you are functioning.

The mind is exercised by the variety and multiplicity of the subject matter, while the character is moulded by the contemplation of virtue and vice.

Somebody might say that they always wanted to be a fly-fishing guide in Montana and maybe they'll never get to do that but just by the virtue of having said it out loud, I think there's some power in that.