Henry David Thoreau Quotes

Those who wish well to the State ought to choose to places of trust men of inward principle, justified by exemplary conversation.

We need a President who is more interested in being right and just than being President.

An honest man nearly always thinks justly.

A man should be upright, not be kept upright.

I just want you to know you aren't going to church with a crook.

Nothing that is morally wrong can be politically right.

Plato said that virtue has no master. If a person does not honor this principle and rejoice in it, but is purchasable for money, he creates many masters for himself.

The man of life upright has a guiltless heart, free from all dishonest deeds or thought of vanity.

My dad's era believed that there was something noble in being a good guy - the kind of guy that lived straight and narrow, told the truth, and stood up for what he believed was right.

He was a crystal of morality among our scientists.

The object of the superior man is truth.

You can't have integrity for breakfast, but try and keep it because it is perhaps the single most important word that defines not just writers but all human beings.

I would prefer as friend a good man ignorant than one more clever who is evil too.

The just man walks in his integrity

Moral character has now some influence in our elections, but not that place which it deserves. The law of public opinion excludes confirmed sots, and persons judicially convicted of high crimes and misdemeanors against the State; but it ought to render the election of all profane swearers, notorious Sabbath breakers, seducers, slanderers, prodigals and riotous persons, as well as the advocates of dueling, impracticable.

Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.

When I select a leader I look for a person with integrity, intelligence and ambition. If he doesn’t have integrity I hope he doesn’t have the other two either.

I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them: but let them consider, that though good laws do well, good men do better: for good laws may want good men, and be abolished or evaded by ill mend but good men will never want good laws, nor suffer ill ones.

It is impossible to deny that dishonest men often grow rich and famous, becoming powerful in their parish or in parliament. Their portraits grace shop windows; and they live and die respected. This success is theirs; yet it is not the success which a noble soul will envy.

He is good and wise who always speaks the truth, acts on the dictates of virtue, and tries to make others good and happy.

Too often, when you are close to people in power, you're trying to make them happy; you're trying to tell them what they want to hear. But I find that really good leaders don't want that. They want the truth. And you do them a service, and yourself a service, by just being honest and straightforward.

If I had walked into a dry cleaning store, and I had looked over, and the register drawer was open with money inside, I wouldn't have taken it.

You need a president whom you can trust, someone who will not steal your money, a president who is sincere, brave and just.

What is important is a leader who can be trusted.

I have been young and am now old, and have not yet known an untruthful man to come to a good end.