Moral Compass Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old moral compass quotes, moral compass sayings, and moral compass proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

It is always easier to fight for one's principles that to live up to them. Alfred Adler
Morality's not practical. Morality's a gesture. A complicated gesture learned from books. Robert Bolt
I think I did something for the worst possible reason--just because I could. Bill Clinton
The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts. Charles Darwin
The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason. T.S. Eliot
The metaphor of a moral compass is a bit misleading since there is no debate about the possibility of more than one "true north," whereas there are ongoing debates about whether there might be equally valid moral laws pointing in conflicting directions Elizabeth V. Spelman
The trouble is, even if you do believe in God, and in divinely sanctioned moral norms, there is still not getting away from humans themselves having to draw the moral boundaries. Kenan Malik
The moral compass was only ever a means to an end and the end is survival of the individuals who use it most creatively. Derek Robertson
Every society rests in the last resort on the recognition of common principles and common ideals, and if it makes no moral or spiritual appeal to the loyalty of its members, it must inevitable fall to pieces. Christopher Dawson
You come before me this morning with clean hands and clean collars. I want you to have clean tongues, clean manners, clean morals and clean characters. John E. Burns
We have, in fact, two kinds of morality side by side: one which we preach but do not practice, and another which we practice but seldom preach. Bertrand Russell
Morality which is based on ideas, or on an ideal, is an unmitigated evil. D.H. Lawrence
Do not be too moral. You might cheat yourself out of much life. Aim high above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something. Henry David Thoreau
I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after. Ernest Hemingway