There is no real greatness without simplicity, goodness, and truth.
—Leo Tolstoy, 1869
Live among men as if God saw you; speak to God as if men heard you.
—Seneca, *65 AD
7
A good Life is the only Religion.
—Thomas Fuller, 1732
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
—Confucius, fifth century BC
8
Morality is the observance of the rights of others.
—Dagobert D. Runes, 1966
Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.
—Henry David Thoreau, 1848
Every man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.
—Marcus Aurelius, 1st century AD
***
The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues.
—René Descartes, 1637
It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.
—Abraham Lincoln, 1866
The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re
going to have some pretty annoying virtues.
—Elizabeth Taylor, 2000
Virtue is indeed its own noblest reward.
—Silius Italicus, first century AD
9
7
A much later rephrase by Cardinal Francis Spellman is also frequently cited.
8
Probably not original even in that time, this “Golden Rule” of morality was reproduced by Socrates
and Isocrates during the next century, in the Indian Mahabharata a century after that, and by
innumerous prophets, and preachers later on. I am not aware of any essential addition to this wisdom,
made by any religion. For example, Hillel the Elder, one of the most prominent Jewish religious
scholars, said, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Law; the rest is
the explanation.” Note that the altruistic behavior implied by the rule may be explained as a result of
the biological evolution—see the last quotes in the section On Faith and Religion.
9
Possibly rooted in Plato’s “Virtue was sufficient of herself for happiness”; sometimes misattributed to Izaak Walton, Matthew Prior, Henry More, John Gay and many later authors, frequently shortened to “Virtue is its own reward”.
On Success and Glory, Good and Bad
193
—Leo Tolstoy, 1869
Live among men as if God saw you; speak to God as if men heard you.
—Seneca, *65 AD
7
A good Life is the only Religion.
—Thomas Fuller, 1732
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
—Confucius, fifth century BC
8
Morality is the observance of the rights of others.
—Dagobert D. Runes, 1966
Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.
—Henry David Thoreau, 1848
Every man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself.
—Marcus Aurelius, 1st century AD
***
The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues.
—René Descartes, 1637
It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.
—Abraham Lincoln, 1866
The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re
going to have some pretty annoying virtues.
—Elizabeth Taylor, 2000
Virtue is indeed its own noblest reward.
—Silius Italicus, first century AD
9
7
A much later rephrase by Cardinal Francis Spellman is also frequently cited.
8
Probably not original even in that time, this “Golden Rule” of morality was reproduced by Socrates
and Isocrates during the next century, in the Indian Mahabharata a century after that, and by
innumerous prophets, and preachers later on. I am not aware of any essential addition to this wisdom,
made by any religion. For example, Hillel the Elder, one of the most prominent Jewish religious
scholars, said, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Law; the rest is
the explanation.” Note that the altruistic behavior implied by the rule may be explained as a result of
the biological evolution—see the last quotes in the section On Faith and Religion.
9
Possibly rooted in Plato’s “Virtue was sufficient of herself for happiness”; sometimes misattributed to Izaak Walton, Matthew Prior, Henry More, John Gay and many later authors, frequently shortened to “Virtue is its own reward”.
On Success and Glory, Good and Bad
193