Miguel de Unamuno Quotes

The virtue involved in helping those one loves is not 'selflessness' or 'sacrifice,' but integrity.

One must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being.

Morality binds people into groups. It gives us tribalism, it gives us genocide, war, and politics. But it also gives us heroism, altruism, and sainthood.

Children must be impressed with the fact that the greatest heroes are those who fight to help others, not those who fight for power or glory. They must be made to understand that victory does not prove that the thing fought for is right, nor that defeat proves that a cause is wrong.

No one can be good for long if goodness is not in demand.

We need leadership that can elevate religion and morality to their position of paramount importance and thus eliminate growing selfishness, immorality and materialism.

It is by doing good that we become good.

The ages of greatest public spirit are not always eminent for private virtue.

While you live, while it is in your power, be good.

It is impossible to be just if one is not generous.

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.

A good man will certainly also possess courage; but a brave man is not necessarily good.

To bear with patience wrongs done to oneself is a mark of perfection, but to bear with patience wrongs done to someone else is a mark of imperfection and even of actual sin.

A noble heart will always capitulate to reason.

Being good is just a matter of temperament in the end.

Liberty without virtue would be no blessing to us.

Virtue is its own reward. We only invented concepts like heaven and hell to describe how we feel. We don't feel good doing bad and it's nice to help someone.

The true basis of morality is utility; that is, the adaptation of our actions to the promotion of the general welfare and happiness; the endeavour so to rule our lives that we may serve and bless mankind.

Heroes are those who can somehow resist the power of the situation and act out of noble motives, or behave in ways that do not demean others when they easily can.

I feel really ambiguous about the psychology of people trying to do good in the world.

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

What is the purpose of our might if we do not use it for good.

To be good is noble but to show others how to be good is nobler.

Men who have sacrifice their well-being, and even their lives, for the cause of truth or the public good, are, from an empirical point of view -- which scorns virtue and altruism -- regarded as insane or fools; but, from a moral standpoint, they are heroes who do honor to humanity..

Heroes and scholars represent the opposite extremes... The scholar struggles for the benefit of all humanity, sometimes to reduce physical effort, sometimes to reduce pain, and sometimes to postpone death, or at least render it more bearable. In contrast, the patriot sacrifices a rather substantial part of humanity for the sake of his own prestige. His statue is always erected on a pedestal of ruins and corpses... In contrast, all humanity crowns a scholar, love forms the pedestal of his statues, and his triumphs defy the desecration of time and the judgment of history.