Christopher Morley Quotes

The ordeal of virtue is to resist all temptation to evil.

'Tis one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall.

Virtue is a habit of the mind, consistent with nature and moderation and reason.

Virtue is a positive quality developed by taking a firm stand for the right in temptation, or by the suffering endured in consequence of wrongdoing.

Power is not alluring to pure minds.

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.

We can all be good when we have no temptation or provocation to the contrary.

A lady could not boast of her chastity who was never tempted.

Honesty: The ability to resist small temptations.

Virtues, like essences, lose their fragrance when exposed.

Great and good are seldom the same man.

Virtue must be valuable, if men and women of all degrees pretend to have it.

Virtue is more to be feared than vice, because its excesses are not subject to the regulation of conscience.

Every child is innocent because it has not been tempted, but only when we have been tempted and have remained pure, or when we have fallen, repented and reformed, are we virtuous.

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.

You oughtn't to yield to temptation. Well, somebody must, or the thing becomes absurd.

Virtue is insufficient temptation.

No speech can stain what is noble by nature.

It's obviously a lot harder to try and be a good guy than it is to be a bad guy. The world is a fundamentally evil place, it seems like. So in order to be a good person, you have to fight temptation and vice.

The just man walks in his integrity

Moral character has now some influence in our elections, but not that place which it deserves. The law of public opinion excludes confirmed sots, and persons judicially convicted of high crimes and misdemeanors against the State; but it ought to render the election of all profane swearers, notorious Sabbath breakers, seducers, slanderers, prodigals and riotous persons, as well as the advocates of dueling, impracticable.

They err … who think that virtue consists of words .. good actions are the glory of virtue.

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.

We do not despise all those who have vices, but we do despise those that have no virtue.

Guilt pins a fig-leaf; Innocence is its own adorning.