John of Salisbury Quotes

Virtue is a habit of the mind, consistent with nature and moderation and reason.

Great and good are seldom the same man.

It is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness and I pronounce it as certain that there was never a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous.

High moral character is not a precondition for great moral accomplishments.

We do not despise all those who have vices, but we do despise those that have no virtue.

Honesty: The ability to resist small temptations.

There never was a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous.

One of the standards on which your happiness is based, now and in your future, is moral purity.

Virtue is an inner strength. It expands your nature.

Virtues, like essences, lose their fragrance when exposed.

The strength of a man's virtue should not be measured by his special exertions, but by his habitual acts.

Virtue is more to be feared than vice, because its excesses are not subject to the regulation of conscience.

Virtue alone has majesty in death.

Virtue is the truest nobility.

Virtue is reason which has become energy.

To keep your character intact you cannot stoop to filthy acts. It makes it easier to stoop the next time.

To do nothing evil is good; to wish nothing evil is better.

Virtue is the fount whence honour springs.

The just man walks in his integrity

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.

Integrity means always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences.

Virtuous people are simply those who have not been tempted sufficiently, because they live in a vegetative state, or because their purposes are so concentrated in one direction that they have not had the leisure to glance around them.

And what, incidentally, do you think integrity is? The ability not to pick a watch out of your neighbor's pocket? No, it's not as easy as that. If that were all, I'd say ninety-five percent of humanity were honest, upright men. Only, as you can see, they aren't. Integrity is the ability to stand by an idea.

Purity in person and in morals is true godliness.

It is not enough to know what is good: you must be able to do it.