Principle Quotes

“The Seven Social Sins are:

Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscience.
Knowledge without character.
Commerce without morality.
Science without humanity.
Worship without sacrifice.
Politics without principle.


From a sermon given by Frederick Lewis Donaldson in Westminster Abbey, London, on March 20, 1925.”
― Frederick Lewis Donaldson

“On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock.”
― Thomas Jefferson

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone.”
― John Quincy Adams

“The object of this Essay is to assert one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties, or the moral coercion of public opinion. That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he do otherwise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him must be calculated to produce evil to someone else. The only part of the conduct of any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.”
― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

“When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.”
― Charles Spurgeon

“He had preserved the best part of her and made it his own: the principle of her scent.”
― Patrick Süskind, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

“I took it for granted that there must be a few men left in the world who had that kind of strength. I assumed that those men would also be looking for women with principle. I did not want to be among the marked-down goods on the bargain table, cheap because they’d been pawed over. Crowds collect there. It is only the few who will pay full price. "You get what you pay for.”
― Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ's Control

“In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate - look to his character.”
― Noah Webster

“The sacred formula of positivism: love as a principle, the order as a foundation, and progress as a goal.”
― Auguste Comte

“Industry, technology, and commerce can thrive only as long as an idealistic national community offers the necessary preconditions. And these do not lie in material egoism, but in a spirit of sacrifice and joyful renunciation.”
― Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

“Nothing will bind the eyes of man quicker than the touch of compromise. A principle not compromised is a principle worth dying for. A dream not compromised is a dream worth living for.”
― Ogwo David Emenike

“It's okay to be honest about not knowing rather than spreading falsehood. While it is often said that honesty is the best policy, silence is the second best policy.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

“Living in the present moment means living according to truth and principle (but not according to hard rigid dogma) flexibly applied in the particular way required by the immediate situation in which you are. Such a way of living leaves you free, not ruled tyrannically by imposed regulations which may not at all suit the particular case.”
― Paul Brunton, Healing of the Self, the Negatives: Notebooks

“I do not know why I care," Drizzt answered honestly. His eyes turned back to his ancient homeland, where loyalty was merely a device to gain an advantage over a common foe. "Perhaps I care because I strive to be different from my people," he said, as much to himself as to Bruenor. "Perhaps I care because I am different from my people. I may be more akin to race of the surface...that is my hope at least. I care because I have to care about something.”
― R.A. Salvatore, The Crystal Shard

“I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the bottom with my principles around my neck.”
― Stanley Baldwin

“Rewards of life lived with principles; bloom, when life is about to end or has departed already.”
― Aniruddha Sastikar

“We should be able to refuse enchanting proposals and opportunities, if they contradict God’s principles”
― Sunday Adelaja

“Life is govern by principles not by how you feel.Just image a farmer who does not sow his seeds & decides that he is going throw them on the roof because he feels so, well he is sure not going to have a harvest.”
― Thabang Kanti

“You're a pack of mudheaded bigots who loathe excellence on principle and though one might cordially wish you all in hell still you wont go.”
― Cormac McCarthy, The Passenger

“Principle is immovable. Preference never stops moving.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

“When I wake up in the morning at 4 am
to get ready for my classes,
I certainly feel like "Let me not go out today. It's so cold."

But a voice says to me
"You are a Man, my son. You have never avoided your responsibilities in life.
Keep that principle intact.”
― Avijeet Das

“...but in the case of contingent truths, that is, when something can exist in different ways, and none of its determinations are more necessary than others, the need for another principle arises, since that of contradiction vanishes... this principle, on which all contingent truths depend, and which is no less primitive or universal than that of contradiction, is the principle of sufficient reason.”
― Gabrielle-Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil du Châtelet, Reason, Illusion, and Passion: Philosophical Works

“Without self-discipline; no success principle can work.”
― Daniel ANIKOR

“War delights in leaving you with nothing but options that violate your principles. It is a peculiar form of wickedness.”
― Fernando A. Torres, A Habit of Resistance

“We can't change reality, all a person can do is interpret it. Because just like actors, we can't change the script (reality), but we interpret it to our artistic ability.”
― Lashon Byrd

“Money made by our own effort is limited by how
much time, energy, and attention we can give to a task along with what other people will pay for us to do that task. Making money in this firsthand fashion is hard on us because we run our own personal rat race.”
― Christopher Manske, Outsmart the Money Magicians: Maximize Your Net Worth by Seeing Through the Most Powerful Illusions Performed by Wall Street and the IRS

“[Vandenberg] said: "I do not know why we must be the only silent partner in this Grand Alliance. There seems to be no fear of disunity, no hesitation in Moscow, when Moscow wants to assert unilateral war and peace aims which collide with ours. There seems to be no fear of disunity, no hesitation in London, when Mr. Churchill proceeds upon his unilateral way to make decisions often repugnant to our ideas and ideals....
"Honest candor compels us to reassert in high places our American faith in the Atlantic Charter. These basic pledges cannot now be dismissed as a mere nautical nimbus. They march with our armies. They sail with our fleets...they sleep with our martyred dead. The first requisite of honest candor...is to relight this torch.
"I am not prepared to guarantee permanently the spoils of an unjust peace. It will not work. I am prepared by effective international cooperation to do our full part in charting happier and safer tomorrows.”
― T.R. Fehrenbach, This kind of peace

“Having staved off disaster by force of arms, the West had somehow come to the idea that principle, rather than force, was a better basis for peace. The trouble was, publics took an "either/or" attitude toward the question: few stated that force without principle was sterile, but that principle without force behind it was powerless. The great trouble with classic liberal thought and classic liberals is that they have no trouble conceiving principle, but enormous trouble understanding how it must be implemented.”
― T.R. Fehrenbach, This kind of peace

“To be a person of principle is to accept the reality that their stance will never cease to draw the fire of those whose principle enemies are principles.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

“Defend principle, not prejudice.
Support reformation, not rigidity.
Be responsible, not reckless.
Support correction, not conformity.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Yüz Şiirlerin Yüzüğü (Ring of 100 Poems, Bilingual Edition): 100 Turkish Poems with Translations