Compromising Integrity Quotes

Truly, to tell lies is not honorable; But when the truth entails tremendous ruin, To speak dishonorably is pardonable.

A professional politician is a professionally dishonorable man. In order to get anywhere near high office he has to make so many compromises and submit to so many humiliations that he becomes indistinguishable from a streetwalker.

Sometimes compromise is painful.

The 'morality of compromise' sounds contradictory. Compromise is usually a sign of weakness, or an admission of defeat. Strong men don't compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.

The devil is compromise.

My school of thought is, anything goes, but I can't do that anymore.

But my question is, am I compromising by adapting my words for the audience and where is the line beyond which I am not adapting words, but changing my position?

Selling out is usually more a matter of buying in. Sell out, and you’re really buying into someone else’s system of values, rules and rewards.

Embracing a bad idea for the sake of optics [political image] is always bad.

Most people sell their souls, and live with a good conscience on the proceeds.

A lot of the better offenses sacrifice defense to be a good offense and I'm not interested in doing that.

And that was all the part of it - the way you were obliged to live. You stifled a groan, you lied about your love, you deceived your legal wife, and all in the name of honour. That was the damned paradox of it - in order to behave well, you have to behave badly.

Peace purchased at the cost of any part of our national integrity is fit only for slaves, and even when purchased for such a price it is a delusion, for it cannot last.

I'm interested in why people compromise when they shouldn't. It comes back to what V's about in a sense. We've all got ideals, but given the right circumstances, we'll forget about them and put them behind us. I'm very interested in why people do that.

I mean, if we try to 'fluff up' 'Nikita?' We're done. If we try to 'fluff' 'Nikita,' I don't want to be involved and I don't want to watch the show.

You asked Marco Rubio if it was too little too late. I think there's a little bit of too much too late, which is, he is just getting down in the muck with Donald Trump. And when you get down in the muck, you get up with muck on you.

People with targets and jobs dependent upon meeting them will probably meet the targets - even if they have to destroy the enterprise to do it.

You live in a dangerous place when you sacrifice integrity for security.