Henry David Thoreau Quotes

… vices are sometimes only virtues carried to excess!

Men are more moral than they think and far more immoral than they can imagine.

Half the vices which the world condemns most loudly have seeds of good in them and require moderate use rather than total abstinence.

Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right.

Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.

Moral certainty is never more than probability.

Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.

It is the function of vice to keep virtue within reasonable bounds.

Throughout my life, I have always tried to do what is right.

We live in a world where everyone thinks they do the right thing, so they are entitled to do the wrong thing. So ends can justify the means.

Let us be true: this is the highest maxim of art and of life, the secret of eloquence and of virtue, and of all moral authority.

Everyone spends their lives trying to balance their world between good and evil.

The difference is too nice - Where ends the virtue or begins the vice.

I really wanted to be nasty and mean and bad. It's so much easier than being the good girl.

Liberty without virtue would be no blessing to us.

Let none of us delude himself by supposing that honesty is always the best policy. It is not.

Justice in the extreme is often unjust.

I do not believe in the concept of good and evil in my personal life, in the real world. I just don't believe it. I never try to judge.

Imagination, the supreme delight of the immortal and the immature, should be limited. In order to enjoy life, we should not enjoy it too much.

Honesty is a good thing, but it is not profitable to its possessor unless it is kept under control.

A little more moderation would be good. Of course, my life hasn't exactly been one of moderation.

What is right, what is wrong, how can anyone say? I view very, very, few things as Right with a capital R.

Conscience is our unerring judge until we finally stifle it.

Sometimes the right thing gets done for the wrong reason and sometimes, unfortunately, the wrong thing gets done for the right reason.

Temperance is moderation in the things that are good and total abstinence from the things that are foul.