"The good he scorned Stalked off reluctant, like an ill-used ghost, Not to return; or if it did, in visits Like those of angels, short and far between."

"For the cause that lacks assistance, The wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that I can do."

"Because indeed there was never law, or sect, or opinion, did so much magnify goodness, as the Christian religion doth."

"What good I see humbly I seek to do, And live obedient to the law, in trust That what will come, and must come, shall come well."

"Whatever any one does or says, I must be good."

"Human nature is evil; its goodness derives from conscious activity. Now it is human nature to be born with a fondness for profit. Indulging this leads to contention and strife, and the sense of modesty and yielding with which one was born disappears. One is born with feelings of envy and hate, and, by indulging these, one is led into banditry and theft, so that the sense of loyalty and good faith with which he was born disappears. One is born with the desires of the ears and eyes and with a fondness for beautiful sights and sounds, and, by indulging these, one is led to licentiousness and chaos, so that the sense of ritual, rightness, refinement, and principle with which one was born is lost. Hence, following human nature and indulging human emotions will inevitably lead to contention and strife, causing one to rebel against one’s proper duty, reduce principle to chaos, and revert to violence. Therefore one must be transformed by the example of a teacher and guided by the way of ritual and rightness before one will attain modesty and yielding, accord with refinement and ritual, and return to order."

"They live best, I think, who strive best to become as good as possible: and the pleasantest life is theirs who are conscious that they are growing in goodness."

"For avoiding slavery to the belly or to sleep and incontinence, is there, think you, any more effective specific than the possession of other and greater pleasures, which are delightful not only to enjoy, but also because they arouse hopes of lasting benefit? ... Do you think then that out of all this thinking there comes anything so pleasant as the thought: ‘I am growing in goodness and I am making better friends'? And that, I may say, is my constant thought."

"What is good looking, as Horace Smith remarks, but looking good? Be good, be womanly, be gentle, — generous in your sympathies, heedful of the well-being of all around you; and, my word for it, you will not lack kind words of admiration."

"In Donald's mind, even acknowledging an inevitable threat would indicate weakness. Taking responsibility would open him up to blame. Being a hero- being good- is impossible for him."

"I longed with all my soul to be good, but I was young; I had passions and I was alone, completely alone in my search for goodness. Every time I tried to express my innermost desires—a wish to be morally good—I met with contempt and scorn, and as soon as I gave in to vile passions I was praised and encouraged. Ambition, lust for power, self-interest, lechery, pride, anger, revenge, were all respected qualities. As I yielded to these passions I became like my elders and I felt that they were pleased with me."

"To be good and lead a good life means to give to others more than one takes from them."

"Every person has only one purpose: to find perfection in goodness. Therefore, only that knowledge is necessary which leads to this."

"If goodness has causes, it is not goodness; if it has effects, a reward, it is not goodness either. So goodness is outside the chain of cause and effect."

"One may slain every goodness and yet escape, but no escape for one who slain gratitude."

"The touchstone of goodness is to own one's defeat even to inferiors."

"It is not so important that many should be good as you, as that there be some absolute goodness somewhere; for that will leaven the whole lump."

"For he that is a good man, is three quarters of his way towards the being a good Christian, wheresoever he lives, or whatsoever he is called."

"Nothing can harm a good man, either in life or after death."

"People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict."

"It is quite useless to declare that all men are born free if you deny that they are born good. Guarantee a man's goodness and his liberty will take care of itself. To guarantee his freedom on condition that you approve of his moral character is formally to abolish all freedom whatsoever, as every man's liberty is at the mercy of a moral indictment which any fool can trump up against everyone who violates custom, whether as a prophet or as a rascal."

"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world."

"Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in every thing."

"Nec multis verbis nec circumitu longo, quod sit summum bonum, colliges1; digito, ut ita dicam, demonstrandum est nec in multa spargendum. Quid enim ad rem pertinet in particulas illud diducere, cum possis dicere: summum bonum est, quod honestum est? Et quod magis admireris: unum bonum est, quod honestum est, cetera falsa et bona sunt. Hoc si persuaseris tibi et virtutem adamaveris, amare enim parum est, quicquid illa contigerit, id tibi, qualecumque aliis videbitur, faustum felixque erit. Et torqueri, si modo iacueris ipso torquente securior, et aegrotare, si non male dixeris fortunae, si non cesseris morbo, omnia denique, quae ceteris videntur mala, et mansuescent et in bonum abibunt, si super illa eminueris."

"Is the reward for good (anything) but good?"

"But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion (of good)."

"When at eventide noble steeds swift of foot were displayed before him, he said: "I have loved the love of good things over the remembrance of my Lord, until (the sun) was taken behind the veil""

"Indeed, God is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good."

"And spend in the way of God and do not throw (yourselves) with your (own) hands into destruction (by refraining). And do good; Indeed, God loves the doers of good."

"The more skillfully the language of goodness is assumed, the greater the depravity."

"Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame."

"Forgetful of all he had written and spoken Antiochus was making preparations for war with Ptolemy, so that what Simonides said seems to be very true: "It is hard to be good." It is indeed easy to be disposed to act honourably and to strive to do so up to a certain point, but to be consistent and under every circumstance to be steadfast in our purpose, esteeming nothing to be of higher importance than justice and honour, is difficult."

"Nor is it a matter for wonder that the good do not appear herded in great thongs. First because specimens of great goodness are rare, secondly, because they avoid the great crowd of the more thoughtless and keep themselves at leisure for the contemplation of what nature has to show."

"He that does good for good's sake seeks neither praise nor reward, though sure of both at last."

"We care so little of other people that even Christianity urges us to do good for the love of God."

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

"All other knowledge is hurtful to him who has not the science of goodness."

"Abashed the Devil stood, And felt how awful goodness is, and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely. —saw, and pined his loss."

"His irresolution was based on a fundamental human peculiarity—he wanted to be a good man, but what is good?"

"Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger — according to the way you react to it."