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vice quotes

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“the moral world . . . has, perhaps, no particular objection to vice, but an insuperable repugnance to hearing vice called by its proper name.” William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair
“It is the function of vice to keep virtue within reasonable bounds.” Samuel Butler, The Note-Books of Samuel Butler
“Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.” Francis Bacon, The Essays of Francis Bacon
“In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted short cuts to love.” John Steinbeck, East of Eden
“Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.” John Steinbeck, East of Eden
“And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
“Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? He appeared at one time a mere scion of the evil principle and at another as all that can be conceived of noble and godlike.” Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
“But you, that are polluted with your lusts, stain'd with the guiltless blood of innocents, corrupt and tainted with a thousand vices, because you want the grace that others have, you judge it straight a thing impossible to compass wonders but by...” William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 1
“Nature teaches us to devour each other and gives us the example of all the crimes and all the vices which the social state corrects or conceals.” Anatole France, The Gods Are Athirst
“I'd rather be myself . . . Myself and nasty. Not somebody else, however jolly.” Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
“Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.” C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“I hate ingratitude more in a man than lying, vainness, babbling, drunkenness, or any taint of vice whose strong corruption inhabits our frail blood.” William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
“Birds . . . are the last of the dinosaurs. Tiny velociraptors with wings. Devouring defenseless wiggly things and, and nuts, and fish, and, and other birds. They get the early worms. And have you ever watched a chicken eat? They may look...” Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys
“Every human virtue and every vice has been fashionable for a while and then unfashionable.” Denis Diderot, Jacques the Fatalist and his Master
“This is the way human beings contrive to feed their self-destructive vices: trying not to see them, trying not to acknowledge them, delaying the important decisions and pretending that nothing will happen.” Pope Francis, Laudato si'
“You can't have a lasting civilization without plenty of pleasant vices.” Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
“Men's evil manners live in brass: their virtues we write in water.” William Shakespeare, Henry VIII
“A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.” William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
“our labour preserves us from three great evils—weariness, vice, and want.” Voltaire, Candide
“They had generally acquired some of the vices of civilization, but none of the virtues, except in individual cases.” Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Related topics

virtue evil nature civilization crimes love self work friendship man respect morality pride pleasure kindness corruption lies want pretending novelty

Related authors

William Shakespeare (4)
John Steinbeck (2)
Aldous Huxley (2)
Francis Bacon (1)
Anatole France (1)
Mary Shelley (1)
William Makepeace Thackeray (1)
Voltaire (1)
Denis Diderot (1)
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1)
C. S. Lewis (1)
Neil Gaiman (1)
Samuel Butler (1)
Pope Francis (1)
Ulysses S. Grant (1)

Related sources

East of Eden (2)
Brave New World (2)
Frankenstein (1)
Candide (1)
Laudato si' (1)
The Brothers Karamazov (1)
Twelfth Night (1)
Mere Christianity (1)
The Essays of Francis Bacon (1)
Vanity Fair (1)
Julius Caesar (1)
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1)
Henry VIII (1)
Anansi Boys (1)
Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (1)
The Gods Are Athirst (1)
Jacques the Fatalist and his Master (1)
Henry VI, Part 1 (1)