William Golding Quotes

You must keep your honor! You can't speak for the country; you can do little about the national economy or actions of moral weaklings who excuse themselves with the expression, "That is politics; nor can you be responsible for deception in others. But you are responsible for yourself! There are no collective panaceas - only individual ones."

Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming.

Temptation is as old as time; or at least, the history of temptation extends as far back as the moment Eve gave Adam that serpent's apple. But what sets the lady apart from the tramp is the ability to acknowledge she needs to clean up her act - and then, of course, the fact that she actually does clean up her act.

Your character will be what you yourself choose to make it.

A man's character is his guardian divinity.

I don't think I'm naturally a good person. I think some people have an innate goodness to them, and I am sort of proud of the fact that I kind of keep myself in check, probably because I have awesome parents.

I can speak for my own actions.

Be the master of your will but the servant of your conscience.

Tis weak and vicious people who cast the blame on Fate. The right use of Fate is to bring up our conduct to the loftiness of nature.

The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.

All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.

How can I govern others, who can't even govern myself?

You can't, in sound morals, condemn a man for taking care of his own integrity. It is his clear duty.

You can never control other people. You can only control yourself. I have definitely learned that.

You can be true to the character all you want but you've got to go home with yourself.

It's very clearly stated in the film: You make your own choices, and what you're always fighting is ego.

The man of virtuous soul commands not, nor obeys.

Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.

When about to commit a base deed, respect thyself, though there is no witness.

As much as you may want to, you can't control what other people say or do; you can only control yourself.

You're always concerned for your character. You should be.

Don't violate your own code of values and ethics, but don't waste energy trying to make other people violate theirs.

Respect for self is the beginning of cultivating virtue in men and women.

People have the right to say what they want, but as long as I can go to bed at night and look myself in the mirror, I'll be all right.

You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.