Righteous Conduct Quotes

In doing what we ought we deserve no praise, because it is our duty.

A superior man in dealing with the world is not for anything or against anything. He follows righteousness as the standard.

I would rather miss the mark acting well than win the day acting basely.

It is possible for one never to transgress a single law and still be a bastard.

It is never right to do wrong in order to get a chance to do right.

Politicians may do as they please, so long as they violate no rule of right, no principle of justice, no law of God; but in no world, in no order, or condition, have men the right to do wrong.

Work hard, do things the right way, and things will go your way.

A Warrior knows that the ends do not justify the means. Because there are no ends, there are only means.

Men are satisfied commonly if they can so regulate their lives as to escape the censure of men, and the disgrace which follows wicked actions.

Do what you believe to be right, and ever hold it for a maxim, that if the skies fall through your doing right, honest men will survive the ruin.

The good man is he for whom, because he is virtuous, the things that are absolutely good are good; it is also plain that his use of these goods must be virtuous and in the absolute sense good.

Bad principles are not good substitutes for no principles. For to eight years of bad principles may make no principles look pretty good.

Must we always do our duty? If so, how are we always to know what is our duty?

Whatever arises from a just situation by just steps is itself just.

Our principles are the springs of our actions. Our actions, the springs of our happiness or misery. Too much care, therefore, cannot be taken in forming our principles.

It is true that legality is not morality, and sticking to the law is necessary for good citizenship, but it is not sufficient.

If virtue precede us every step will be safe.

Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.

What is it the Bible teaches us? -- rapine, cruelty, and murder.

A character standard is far more important than even a gold standard. The success of all economic systems is still dependent upon both righteous leaders and righteous people. In the last analysis, our national future depends upon our national character that is, whether it is spiritually or materially minded.

No ability, no strength and force, no power of intellect or power of wealth, shall avail us, if we have not the root of right living in us.

… good habits are here more effectual than good laws elsewhere

We have to rediscover the eternal values and then live them out.

Only by perfect virtue can the perfect path, in all its courses, be made a fact.

There is no division between true religion and noble living; a religion that does not express itself in nobility of living is an empty shell.