George Washington Quotes

It is interesting to see how humans would act if they knew there were never any consequences for their actions because the next day they could wake up and just redo it.

...guilt leads to righteous action, but rarely is it the right action.

But they who are unconcerned about the consequences of their actions are not therefore unconcerned about their actions.

My only fear is doing something contrary to human nature - the wrong thing, the wrong way, or at the wrong time.

You would not call a man humane for ceasing to set mousetraps if he did so because he believed there were no mice in the house.

If I could, Sister James, I would certainly choose to live in innocence. But innocence can only be wisdom in a world without evil. Situations arise and we are confronted with wrongdoing and the need to act.

Intention, good or bad, is not enough.

My Dear Son... remember that you are accountable to your Maker for all your words and actions.

Too great a preoccupation with motives (especially one's own motive) is liable to lead to too little concern for consequences.

The right to do something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

Of a truth, Knowledge is power, but it is a power reined by scruple, having a conscience of what must be and what may be. . . .

The light of lights looks always on the motive, not the deed, the shadow of shadows on the deed alone.

Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics.

Motives are often more important than actions

Actions will be judged according to intentions.

To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.

It’s a good thing when you don’t dare do something if you don’t think it’s right. But it’s not good when you think something’s not right because you don’t dare do it.

I learned then that practically no one in the world is entirely bad or entirely good, and that motives are often more important than actions.

Life is moral responsibility.

Men do monstrous things but if you call a man a monster you have absolved yourself of blame. You don't have to think that you might ever do these things. I don't think that's true

Each decision - to kill, to sign a petition, to write a letter, to make a speech, to attack, to lie, to surrender - was made at some point in somebody's day.

As the mind of each man is conscious of good or evil, so does he conceive within his breast hope or fear, according to his actions.

Self-respecting men and women think about the consequences of their actions-and are willing to take responsibility for them.

T is the will that makes the action good or ill.

You can't have intentions without consequences. The question is, who pays for the consequences? Saving fish from drowning. Same thing. Who’s saved? Who’s not?