David Mitchell Quotes

Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, And vice sometime's by action dignified

Observe this, that tho a woman swear, forswear, lie, dissemble, back-bite, be proud, vain, malicious, anything, if she secures the main chance, she's still virtuous; that's a maxim.

It's immoral to steal, but you can take things.

There are worse things than a lie... I have found... that it may be well to choose one sin in order that another may be shunned.

Life's not black-and-white. Sometimes the ends justifies the means.

When we tell little white lies, we become progressively color-blind. It is better to remain silent than to mislead.

I'm a Utilitarian, so I don't see the rule against lying as absolute; it's always subject to some overriding utility which may prevent its exercise.

I love the gray area between right and wrong.

Know that a lie is not haram [wrong] in itself, but only because the evil conclusions to which it leads the hearer, making him believe something that is not really the case.... If a lie is the only way of obtaining a good result, it is permissible.... We must lie when truth leads to unpleasant results.

What most men call their conscience is imaginary virtue switching left or right according to self-interest.

I tell the truth where it's the ethical thing to do, but in terms of entertainment, there's a certain fun and enjoyment that can be added to the experience by a few judicious lies.

So telling a lie becomes a sin if you tell it to take advantage of a person, but if you tell a lie to do a good thing for him that is not a sin. Even God tells lies very often; you can see this throughout history.

A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right and evil doesn't become good, just because it's accepted by a majority.

What harm would it do, if a man told a good strong lie for the sake of the good and for the Christian church ... a lie out of necessity, a useful lie, a helpful lie, such lies would not be against God, he would accept them.

Why are we talking about this good and evil? They're just names for sides. We know that.

One’s concern with the ethics of means and ends varies inversely with one’s personal interest in the issue.

Alanna didn't approve of lying, but in a pinch a lie was sometimes better than the truth.

Lies are neither bad nor good. Like a fire they can either keep you warm or burn you to death, depending on how they're used.

Of course I lie to people. But I lie altruistically - for our mutual good. The lie is the basic building block of good manners. That may seem mildly shocking to a moralist - but then what isn't?

Wrong is wrong only when you are at liberty to choose.

I'm neutral on lying, seeing as how there's times when the truth just hurts people.

Realizing that people should lie when they do makes me a little more open-minded, a little more tolerant, when my child or my partner lies.

Cunning is none of the best nor worst qualities; it floats between virtue and vice; there is scarce any exigence where it may not, and perhaps ought not to be supplied by prudence.

I do not like an injurious lie, except when it injures somebody else.