George Eliot Quotes

There can scarcely be a more difficult thing than to play a double game. It is dangerous, and it is at times, a nice point to draw the distinction between such a game and dishonor.

I don't employ Talleyrand when I want a thing done, but only when I want to have the appearance of wanting to do it.

You will be amused when you see that I have more than once deceived without the slightest qualm of conscience, both knaves and fools.

When you're on the side of the angels, it's easier to stretch the truth.

All names of good and evil are images; they do not speak out, they only hint. He is a fool who seeks knowledge from them.

The greatest art of a politician is to render vice serviceable to the cause of virtue.

We do what we must, and call it by the best names.

... he that will live in this World, must be endu'd with the three rare Qualities of Dissimulation, Equivocation, and mental Reservation.

How laudable it is for a prince to keep good faith and live with integrity, and not with astuteness, every one knows. Still the experience of our times shows those princes to have done great things who have had little regard for good faith, and have been able by astuteness to confuse men's brains, and who have ultimately overcome those who have made loyalty their foundation.

Hypocrites are more enraging than extremists, as every campaign operative knows.

Dealing with a government with whom mendacity is a science is an extremely difficult and delicate matter.

The two maxims of any great man at court are, always to keep his countenance, and never to keep his word.

Observe this, that tho a woman swear, forswear, lie, dissemble, back-bite, be proud, vain, malicious, anything, if she secures the main chance, she's still virtuous; that's a maxim.

Moral vices prosper by dressing themselves as virtues.

I demand from you in the name of your principles the rights which I shall deny to you later in the name of my principles.

I have always found the word 'Europe' on the lips of those who wanted something from others which they dared not demand in their own names!

The most ingenious men continually pretend to condemn tricking--but this is often done that they may use it more conveniently themselves, when some great occasion or interest offers itself to them.

The devil knew what he did when he made men politic; he crossed himself by it.

Paris Hilton said something interesting to me once: she said, 'I just tell everyone what they want to hear, and I do what I want to do.'

Time eventually convinces most of us that forgiveness is a virtue. Conveniently, cowardice and forgiveness look identical at a certain distance.

That is the way with people ... If they do you wrong, they invent a bad name for you, a good name for their acts and then destroy you in the name of virtue.

You're trying to be tricky. What's morality?" "It's the difference between what's right and what you can rationalize." "Must be a human thing." "Exactly.

The whole truth is generally the ally of virtue; a half-truth is always the ally of some vice.

Cheating is a sin, but honest cunning is simply prudence. It is a virtue. To be sure, it has a likeness to roguery, but that cannot be helped. He who has not learned to practice it is a fool.

Fearful is the seductive power of goodness.