Francis Spufford Quotes

I'd always found goodness more interesting then evil, though I was aware this wasn't the most general view. To my mind, it took more work and more courage to be good, an opinion continually reinforced by my own shortcomings.

Do what is right, and you'll have no lasting regrets. Do what is right, and put yourself on the side of truth, goodness, and the best of life.

The virtuous man is driven by responsibility, the non-virtuous man is driven by profit.

An honest man's the noblest work of God.

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

People must have righteous principals in the first, and then they will not fail to perform virtuous actions.

I do not believe with the Rochefoucaults and the Montaignes that fourteen out of fifteen men are rogues. I believe a great abatement from that proportion may be made in favor of general honesty.

All effective actions require the passport of morality.

Knowledge is but an instrument, which the profligate and the flagitious may use as well as the brave and the just.

I wouldn't want to marry anybody who was wicked, but I think I'd like it if he could be wicked and wouldn't.

The religious man fears, the man of honor scorns, to do an ill action.

Without Virtue there can be no liberty

There is no wrong time to do the right thing.

The order of nature [is] that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the practice of virtue.

The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is aware of advantage.

There can be no question of holding forth on ethics. I have seen people behave badly with great morality and I note every day that integrity has no need of rules

I have seen men incapable of the sciences, but never any incapable of virtue.

A man may be very sincere in good principles, without having good practice.

God knows I'm no saint, but I don't think I'm more of a sinner than any other man.

What is the real relation between happiness and goodness? It is only within a few generations that men have found courage to say that there is none.

But courage without conduct is the virtue of a robber, or a tyrant.

Possessed of courage but devoid of morality, a superior man will make trouble while a small man will be a brigand.

Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other.

ATHENA: You wish to be called righteous rather than act right. [...] I say, wrong must not win by technicalities.

It is no easy task to be good.