“The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.”
What does it mean to be good? These quotes explore virtue, decency, kindness, and the daily choices that add up to a life well lived. Not preachy — just thoughtful observations from people trying to do right in a complicated world.
“When we are well, we all have good advice for those who are ill.”
“The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.”
“It is good to express a thing twice right at the outset and so to give it a right foot and also a left one. Truth can surely stand on one leg, but with two it will be able to walk and get around.”
“Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen the more select, the more enjoyable.”
“To assert in any case that a man must be absolutely cut off from society because he is absolutely evil amounts to saying that society is absolutely good, and no-one in his right mind will believe this today.”
“Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad luck.”
“Twice and thrice over, as they say, good is it to repeat and review what is good.”
“Our creator is the same and never changes despite the names given Him by people here and in all parts of the world. Even if we gave Him no name at all, He would still be there, within us, waiting to give us good on this earth.”
“Heaven and hell suppose two distinct species of men, the good and the bad. But the greatest part of mankind float betwixt vice and virtue.”
“A play should give you something to think about. When I see a play and understand it the first time, then I know it can't be much good.”
“Do not think of your faults, still less of other's faults look for what is good and strong, and try to imitate it. Your faults will drop off, like dead leaves, when their time comes.”
“What the people want is very simple - they want an America as good as its promise.”
“In order to acquire a growing and lasting respect in society, it is a good thing, if you possess great talent, to give, early in your youth, a very hard kick to the right shin of the society that you love. After that, be a snob.”
“A good idea is about ten percent and implementation and hard work, and luck is 90 percent.”
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
“A good laugh is sunshine in the house.”