John le Carre Quotes

The virtue involved in helping those one loves is not 'selflessness' or 'sacrifice,' but integrity.

Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.

It's better to be good than evil, but one achieves goodness at a terrific cost.

It was a morally representative act. Helms withheld the information because it would have cost him his job.

Not everyone can stand up and be a hero, Princess. Some prefer to surrender to the inevitable and salve their consciences with the gift of survival.

I've lost a lot. I've lost money, and my reputation has taken a hit for taking the high road to protect my dignity, to protect children, and for other good causes. But I don't think there's ever too steep a price for doing the right thing.

To do evil for good is human corruption; to do good for good is civil retribution; but to do good for evil is Christian perfection. Though this be not the grace of nature, it is the nature of grace.

If one acts rightly and honestly, it is difficult to decide whether it is the effect of integrity or skill.

In vain will you fly from one vice if in your wilfulness you embrace another.

Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give the earth itself and all it contains, rather than do an immoral act.

An injurious truth has no merit over an injurious lie. Neither should ever be uttered. The man who speaks an injurious truth, lest his soul be not saved if he do otherwise, should reflect that that sort of a soul is not strictly worth saving.

Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.

To save our imperiled honor everything must be sacrificed, even virtue.

I choose goodness... I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I had three choices: to conform to my own beliefs, which meant death; complete silence, which meant another kind of death; to pay a tribute, a bribe. I chose the third solution by writing The Long Winter.

A soul that makes virtue its companion is like an over-flowing well, for it is clean and pellucid, sweet and wholesome, open to all, rich, blameless and indestructible.

The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.

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

If vices were profitable, the virtuous man would be the sinner.

The most virtuous are those who content themselves with being virtuous without seeking to appear so.

I think I'm a pretty moral guy, a very moral guy, but I'm not perfect.

David Robinson chose to stay at Navy. He talked about commitment, loyalty and values. I wonder how many of us would choose these virtues rather than the chance of becoming a millionaire, especially if you were a college sophomore when you had to make that choice.

Saints were saints because they acted with loving kindness whether they felt like it or not.

I don't want to have to compromise my morals in order to make a living.

Good actions ennoble us, and we are the sons of our deeds.