Arthur Schopenhauer Quotes

Do not ever say that the desire to 'do good' by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives.

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.

I think empathy can serve as a moral spark, motivating us to do good things. But anything can be a moral spark.

Empathy makes you more aware of other people's suffering, but it's not clear it actually motivates you to take moral action or prevents you from taking immoral action.

The wretched have no compassion, they can do good only from strong principles of duty.

There's no such thing as altruism.

If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.

There are thousands willing to do great things for one willing to do a small thing.

A willing heart adds feather to the heel.

You don't need a religious background to strive for something good, for genuine compassion and love for others.

We all, as individuals, can and should act compassionately and charitably. We can volunteer our time, energy, and dollars to help the underprivileged. We can feed the hungry, house the homeless. Most of us feel a moral and ethical responsibility to do so - to 'do unto others.'

Compassion being action without motive, without self-interest, without any sense of fear, without any sense of pleasure.

A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities.

I think of compassion as the fundamental religious experience and, unless that is there, you have nothing.

It's time for greatness - not for greed. It's a time for idealism - not ideology. It is a time not just for compassionate words, but compassionate action.

Compassion and justice are companions, not choices.

universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.

In our concern for others, we worry less about ourselves. When we worry less about ourselves an experience of our own suffering is less intense. What does this tell us? Firstly, because our every action has a universal dimension, a potential impact on others' happiness, ethics are necessary as a means to ensure that we do not harm others. Secondly, it tells us that genuine happiness consists in those spiritual qualities of love, compassion, patience, tolerance and forgiveness and so on. For it is these which provide both for our happiness and others' happiness.

In its sentimental mode, compassion is an exercise in moral indignation, in feeling good rather than doing good ... In its unsentimental mode, compassion seeks above all to do good.

Compassion is a muscle that gets stronger with use, and the regular exercise of choosing kindness over cruelty would change us.

Nobody acts purely selfishly.

Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did.

We will not just say, "I love him very much," but instead, "I will do something so that he will suffer less." The mind of compassion is truly present when it is effective in removing another person's suffering.

If you ask anyone, what is morality based on? These are the two factors that always come out: One is reciprocity, … a sense of fairness, and the other one is empathy and compassion.

The compass of compassion asks not what is good for me? but what is good? Not what is best for me but what is best. Not what is right for me but what is right. Not how much can we take? but How much ought we leave? and how much might we give? Not what is easy but what is worthy. Not what is practical but what is moral.