Moral Balance Quotes

One who becomes compassionate to the cruel will ultimately become cruel to the compassionate

I know I've done bad things. But I've done just as much good as I have done bad. And it's not even necessarily bad. I would say they're growing pains.

There are many who say more than the truth on some occasions, and balance the account with their consciences by saying less than the truth on others. But the fact is that they are in both instances as fraudulant as he would be that exacted more than his due from his debtors, and paid less than their due to his creditors.

You don't have people who are monsters and only do bad. There's good and bad for everybody. It's all a spectrum.

Blot your misdeeds out (if you are particularly conscientious), by a good deed, as soon as you can; just as we did a correct sum at school on the slate, where an incorrect one was only half rubbed out. It was better than wetting our sponge with our tears; both less loss of time where tears had to be waited for, and a better effect at last.

When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.

It is theoretically and practically impossible to build any community apart from love and justice. If only one of these two is focused upon, an inevitable extremism and perversion follow.

A battle that you win cancels any other bad action of yours. In the same way, by losing one, all the good things worked by you before become vain.

None so good that he has no faults, None so wicked that he is worth naught.

Man is unjust, but God is just; and finally justice triumphs.

. . .It is the Law that while Evil, unopposed, may accomplish terrible deeds, the power of Good can never be overthrown when opposed to Evil. . .

Every man whose character traits all lie in the mean is called a wise man.

One should see the world, and see himself as a scale with an equal balance of good and evil. When he does one good deed the scale is tipped to the good - he and the world is saved. When he does one evil deed the scale is tipped to the bad - he and the world is destroyed.

Justice without love is not justice. Love without justice is not love

A civilized man is one who will give a serious answer to a serious question. Civilization itself is a certain sane balance of values.

Justice is not always done in this world; we see that everyday. But on the Last Day it will be done for all to see. And no one will be able to complain by saying, "This isn't fair."

An evil gain equals a loss.

A thin line separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt. Our lives constantly walk that line. When we slip off on one side or the other, we're taken by surprise. But who said there wouldn't be surprises? Knowing God just means that all the rules will be fair; at the end of our life drama, we'll see that. We never know how things will turn out, but if we know with certainty they will make sense regardless of how they turn out, we're on to something.

While extremely sensitive as to the slightest approach to slander, you must also guard against an extreme into which some people fall, who, in their desire to speak evil of no one, actually uphold and speak well of vice.

… would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds?

Kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for it. The question is, was it worth doing it anyway? There's always a balance, you know. Good and evil. Light and Shadow. We would not be human if there wasn't a balance.

I may be as bad as the worst, but, thank God, I am as good as the best.

Justice is revenge.

But goodness alone is never enough. A hard, cold wisdom is required for goodness to accomplish good. Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil.

The injuries we do and those we suffer are seldom weighed in the same scales.