Lois Lowry Quotes

The literary depiction of life and its moral dilemmas compel us to use our conscience, to make those infallible distinctions between right and wrong.

Virtue shuns ease as a companion. It demands a rough and thorny path.

In day-to-day life, you have stimulus to behave unethically, but in the long term, it always pays off to be ethical.

You can't go around hoping that most people have sterling moral characters. The most you can hope for is that people will pretend that they do.

In morals, truth is but little prized when it is a mere sentiment, and only attains its full value when realized in the world as fact.

Choices of right or wrong are not presented to you in black and white. If they were, I'm sure most people would choose white.

The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it.

Invite characters of surprising and moral character, or at least those who grapple with what is right or those who make decisions that shock.

The wrong is wrong and the fall of the majority in such wrong does not justify it. It is known that the right way is difficult and not all the people can follow it, but only the few distinguished for their principles.

Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.

It's difficult in the abstract to appreciate that those with morally objectionable viewpoints can still be good people.

Would the world ever have been made if its maker had been afraid of making trouble?Making life means making trouble. There’s only one way of escaping trouble; and that’s killing things.

If something is wrong, it matters not if a thousand men are for it; you must still oppose it. If something is just, no amount of popular outcry should stay you from your course.

The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice.

Character cannot be summoned at the moment of crisis if it has been squandered by years of compromise and rationalization. The only testing ground for the heroic is the mundane. The only preparation for that one profound decision which can change a life, or even a nation, is those hundreds of half-conscious, self defining, seemingly insignificant decisions made in private. Habit is the daily battleground of character.

The world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it.

I know what we do is right but right doesn't always mean easy.

Cowardice is the greatest sin.

Courage is the ability to do the right thing, all the time, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it might be.

Integrity, the choice between what's convenient and what's right.

When facing a dilemma, choose the more morally demanding alternative.

Every instance of obedience, from right motives, strengthens us spiritually, whilst every act of disobedience weakens us.

Do well and right and let the world sink.

Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece - by thought, choice, courage, and determination.

If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there would be no evil-all would do good but not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls.