Man gives every reason for his conduct save one, every excuse for his crimes save one, every plea for his safety save one
 George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman (1903). copy citation

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Author George Bernard Shaw
Source Man and Superman
Topic safety crime
Date 1903
Language English
Reference
Note
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3328/3328-h/3328-h.htm

Context

“and he will adore you, and swagger about with the consciousness of having the blood of the old sea kings in his veins. Call him liar and thief; and he will only take an action against you for libel. But call him coward; and he will go mad with rage: he will face death to outface that stinging truth. Man gives every reason for his conduct save one, every excuse for his crimes save one, every plea for his safety save one; and that one is his cowardice. Yet all his civilization is founded on his cowardice, on his abject tameness, which he calls his respectability. There are limits to what a mule or an ass will stand;” source