Ashley Montagu Quotes

How you treat the helpless is the real test of morality. Lots of people are flunking that test big time.

The measure of civilized behavior is compassion.

If compassion was the motivating factor behind all of our decisions, would our world not be a completely different place?

Above all remember your humanity.

The challenge today is to convince people of the value of truth, honesty, compassion and a concern for others.

Compassion is the chief law of human existence.

Compassion is aptly summed up in the Golden Rule, which asks us to look into our own hearts, discover what gives us pain, and then refuse, under any circumstance whatsoever, to inflict that pain on anybody else. Compassion can be defined, therefore, as an attitude of principled, consistent altruism.

The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be.

Being in humaneness is good. If we select other goodness and thus are far apart from humaneness, how can we be the wise?

Humans are not really very humane.

True humanity consists not in a squeamish ear; it consists not in starting or shrinking at tales of misery, but in a disposition of heart to relieve it. True humanity appertains rather to the mind than to the nerves, and prompts men to use real and active endeavors to execute the actions which it suggests.

Cruelty, I truly believe, is the one and only sin.

Frankly, I'm not religious, but I believe in the cause of humanity - doing good work.

It's interesting that one of the definitions of the word 'human' is 'sympathetic.' More and more people are beginning to show that they understand why that is important.

There are many reasons for kindness, and religion is just one of them.

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

Kindness and compassion aren't political qualities even though they get politicized.

The problem isn't how to make the world more technological. It's about how to make the world more humane again.

Compassion and justice are companions, not choices.

Ever since then I have known that if all the values in this world are more or less questionable, the most important thing in life is kindness.

I truly believe that compassion provides the basis of human survival.

Being a decent human being will require effort and energy.

Be not glad at the misfortune of another, though he may be your enemy.

Once you have a genuine sense of concern for others, there’s no room for cheating, bullying or exploitation.

Compassion seems to be the greatest power.