Desmond Tutu Quotes

I was thanking him for...well, for something I'm not sure I can explain even now. For showing me that something besides cruelty could be found in the world, I suppose.

I think there's good in everybody.

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

In the middle of everything evil, in an evil place, you can find goodness. Goodness. I'd even call it godliness.

No man-made law will ever eliminate cruelty and evil from every human heart.

Evil can and is overcome every minute of every day.

I believe there's good in everybody.

Mercy is the true power that can save humanity and the world from sin and evil.

I believe we're brutes, but then, miraculously, there are those among us who stand up against that brutishness and remind us of the goodness we're capable of.

We can overcome evil with greater good.

When there is life and mankind, a person will live striving for good deeds, liberty and a bright life, and wish that goodness and justice will reign in the world.

I want to see these bad, bad, bad, bad men come to grips with their humanity.

Even so, one step from my grave, I believe that cruelty, spite, The powers of darkness will in time, Be crushed by the spirit of light.

The essence of justice is mercy.

I've never thought about it before, but I suppose bad people might need someone to pray to, too.

Maybe it's because I'm a little naive, but I do like to think that there aren't really very many truly bad people in the world. I think that everybody has their reasons for what they do, and if you really look through their eyes, you could probably understand them.

You must recognize that the way to get the good out of your brother and your sister is not to return evil for evil.

Every once in a while, something happens to you that makes you realise that the human race is not quite as bad as it so often seems to be.

To repay evils with kindness is the religion I was taught to practise, and this will forever be my rule.

I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.

It is only our humanity that can deliver us from the brutality of our achievements.

If I get to the end of my life, if I die, and I find out religion is one big lie, I still won't regret it because it's helped me to live a better life, to be a better person, to care about people, to believe in forgiveness, to believe in hope.

The good in this world far outweighs the evil. Our common humanity transcends our differences, and our most effective response to terror is compassion, it's unity, and it's love.

I feel like I was transformed by the kindness of people who had every reason to show me cruelty and the transformative power of their decision to treat me like a human being, that was so huge, that anytime somebody wants me to talk about that I feel like I absolutely want to do that.

If you look at life with any honesty and intelligence, it's clear that human nature is dark, vile, selfish, and despondent. But I also see a force in human nature, namely grace, that sometimes works against our natural moral entropy.