Philip Gourevitch Quotes

It's not enough not to be evil. We also actively try to be good.

Being against evil doesn't make you good.

Let no man be sorry he has done good, because others have done evil.

In doing good, we are generally cold, and languid, and sluggish; and of all things afraid of being too much in the right. But theworks of malice and injustice are quite in another style. They are finished with a bold, masterly hand; touched as they are with the spirit of those vehement passions that call forth all our energies, whenever we oppress and persecute.

But courage without conduct is the virtue of a robber, or a tyrant.

Evil is not interesting. What is it, chopping off someone's head? We used to do that as kids, you know, you tear up paper dolls and stuff. I know everyone's done it in the history of the world, but maybe everybody was dumb and they were just looking for something interesting to do. What's really interesting and hard is being good.

Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.

The only way to survive among the evil and corrupt is to be even more wicked and more corrupt than they are!

You can't be all bad all the time.

It's better to die doing good than to live doing evil.

I'd always found goodness more interesting then evil, though I was aware this wasn't the most general view. To my mind, it took more work and more courage to be good, an opinion continually reinforced by my own shortcomings.

If virtue goes to sleep, it will be more vigorous when it awakes.

By doing good we become good.

When "Do no Evil" has been understood, Then learn the harder, braver rule, "Do Good.

I am astonished at the pleasure one experiences in doing good; and I should be tempted to believe that what we call virtuous people have not so much merit as they lead us to suppose.

Integrity means always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences.

So far any one shuns evils, so far as he does good.

Justice shines in very smoky homes, and honors the righteous; but the gold-spangled mansions where the hands are unclean she leaves with eyes averted.

Right conduct can never, except by some rare accident, be promoted by ignorance or hindered by knowledge.

Be the first to seek to bring good, do not grow accustomed to evil, but defeat it.

Keep doing good deeds long enough, and you'll probably turn out a good man in spite of yourself.

Virtue is not to be considered in the light of mere innocence, or abstaining from harm; but as the exertion of our faculties in doing good.

A good man prefers to suffer rather than overcome injustice with evil.

A man who knows all goods and all truths, as many as can be known, but does not shun evils, knows nothing.

The Founders warned that a free society depends on a virtuous and moral people. The current crisis reflects that their concerns were justified.