John Cheever Quotes

Wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil, not the strength to choose between the two.

The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil.

The power of choosing good and evil is within the reach of all.

To prefer evil to good is not in human nature; and when a man is compelled to choose one of two evils, no one will choose the greater when he might have the less.

I suspect that here theists and atheists would agree: Human beings have within them the ability to choose evil or good. We wake up each day facing the age-old struggle of good and evil. In some situations, mental illness clouds our judgment.

Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is good... Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them. That would be enough to make the world a better place.

There is nothing good or evil save in the will.

The apple which tempts my characters is the one that will remove the knowledge of good and evil. I suppose it's something of a reversal of the conventional Eden story: Freedom of thought is perhaps the greatest good, and needs to be fought for and sacrificed for.

An act has no ethical quality whatever unless it be chosen out of several all equally possible.

The essence of morality is a questioning about morality; and the decisive move of human life is to use ceaselessly all light to look for the origin of the opposition between good and evil.

Men have the power of thinking that they may avoid sin.

Once to every person and nation come the moment to decide. In the conflict of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side.

Learn what is true in order to do what is right.

Nature has no principles. She makes no distinction between good and evil.

Practical wisdom is what's called for in situations that have a moral dimension to them.

I think that unless you can take judgments of right and wrong like an automaton, you must have emotions because that is our only way of moral guidance.

Willing or preferring is the same with respect to good and evil, that judging is with respect to truth or falsehood.

All my books deal with the effect of intent upon action, how our understanding of good and evil depends heavily on context.

A moral choice in its basic terms appears to be a choice that favors survival: a choice made in favor of life.

As therefore the state of man now is, what wisdom can there be to choose, what continence to forbear, without the knowledge of good and evil?

The battle between good and evil is endlessly fascinating because we are participants every day.

Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does.

If people use common sense and their own guiding moral compass, I think they'll generally stay out of trouble.

In the real world in which we live, you always have to choose between evils. And in choosing between evils, you have to have moral criteria for how to make those choices.

The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live.