When you put down the good things you ought to have done, and leave out the bad ones you did do — well, that’s Memoirs.
Will Rogers (1879-1935) American humorist
Essay (1932-03-12), “Letters of a Self-Made Diplomat to Senator Borah,” Saturday Evening Post
(Source)
William Borah (1885-1940) was a US Senator from Idaho (1907-1940). He was progressive politically, but an isolationist, a key figure in blocking US approval of the Versailles Treaty or joining the League of Nations.
Collected in Donald Day (ed.), The Autobiography of Will Rogers (1949), and Steven K Gragert (ed.), More Letters of a Self-Made Diplomat (1982).
Quotations about:
good intentions
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
TARTUFFE: Some joys, it’s true, are wrong in Heaven’s eyes;
Yet Heaven is not averse to compromise;
There is a science, lately formulated.
Whereby one’s conscience may be liberated,
And any wrongful act you care to mention
May be redeemed by purity of intention.
I’ll teach you. Madam, the secrets of that science;
Meanwhile, just place on me your full reliance.
Assuage my keen desires, and feel no dread:
The sin, if any, shall be on my head.[Le ciel défend, de vrai, certains contentements;
Mais on trouve avec lui des accommodements.
Selon divers besoins, il est une science
D’étendre les liens de notre conscience,
Et de rectifier le mal de l’action
Avec la pureté de notre intention.
De ces secrets, madame, on saura vous instruire ;
Vous n’avez seulement qu’à vous laisser conduire.
Contentez mon désir, et n’ayez point d’effroi ;
Je vous réponds de tout, et prends le mal sur moi.]Molière (1622-1673) French playwright, actor [stage name for Jean-Baptiste Poquelin]
Tartuffe, Act 4, sc. 5 (1664) [tr. Wilbur (1963)]
(Source)
The pious fraud, Tartuffe, attempting to seduce Orgon's wife, Elmire. Moliere does a certain amount of CYA by inserts a note at this line, "A scoundrel is speaking [C’est un scélérat qui parle.]"
The passage mirrors Pascal's assertion in the seventh Provinciale that "When we cannot prevent the action, we at least purify the intention' and thus we correct vice by means of the purity of the end."
(Source (French)). Alternate translations:Heav'n 'tis true, forbids certain Gratifications. But then there are ways of compounding those Matters. It is a Science to stretch the Strings of Conscience according to the different Exigences of the Cawe, and to rectify the Immorality of the Action by the Purity of our Intention. These are Secrets, Madam, I can instruct you in; you have nothing to do, but passively to be conducted. Satisfy my Desire, and fear nothing, I'll answer for you, and will take the Sin upon myself.
[tr. Clitandre (1672)]Heaven, it is true, forbids certain gratifications, but there are ways and means of compounding such matters. According to our different wants, there is a science which loosens that which binds our conscience, and which rectifies the evil of the act with the purity of our intentions. We shall be able to initiate you into these secrets, Madam; you have only to be led by me. Satisfy my desires, and have no fear; I shall be answerable for everything, and shall take the sin upon myself.
[tr. Van Laun (c. 1870), 4.5]It is true that Heaven forbids certain gratifications, but there are means of compounding with it upon such matters., and of rectifying the evil fo the act by the purity of the intention. We shall be able to initiate you into all those secrets, madam; all you have to do is to suffer yourself to be led by me. Satisfy my wishes, and be without fear. I will be answerable for everything and take the sin upon myself.
[tr. Wall (1879), 4.5]Heaven, it is true, forbids certain gratifications; but there are ways of compounding these matters. There is a science of stretching the strings of our conscience, according to different exigencies, and of rectifying the wrongness of the action by the purity of our intention. In these secrets, madame, I know how to instruct you, and all you have to do is to let me guide you. Satisfy my wishes, madame, and have no fear. I will answer for you, and take any wrong on myself.
[tr. Mathew (1890), 4.4]Heaven, it is true, forbids certain gratifications; but there are ways of compounding with it. It is a science to stretch the string of our conscience according to divers needs and to rectify the immorality of the act with the purity of our intention. I can initiate you into these secrets, Madam; you have only to allow yourself to be led. Satisfy my desire, and do not be afraid: I will be answerable for you in everything, and I will take the sin upon myself.
[tr. Waller (1903), 4.5]Heaven forbids, 't is true, some satisfactions;
But we find means to make things right with Heaven.
There is a science, madam, that instructs us
How to enlarge the limits of our conscience
According to our various occasions,
And rectify the evil of the deed
According to our purity of motive.
I'll duly teach you all these secrets, madam;
You only need to let yourself be guided.
Content my wishes, have no fear at all;
I answer for't, and take the sin upon me.
[tr. Page (1909), 4.5]It's true that heaven forbids some satisfactions,
But there are possible ways to understandings.
To suit our various needs, there is a science
Of loosening the bonds of human conscience,
And rectifying the evil of an action
By means of the purity of our intention.
Madame, I shall instruct you in these secrets,
If you will put your confidence in me.
Content my longings, do not be afraid;
All the responsibility is mine ...
[tr. Bishop (1957)]It's true, there are some pleasures Heaven denies;
But there are ways to reach a compromise.
Yes, now there is a science that succeeds
In stretching consciences to meet our needs,
And can correct, by a sublime invention,
An evil deed just by a pure intention.
To all this there are keys I can provide you;
All you need do, Madame, is let me guide you.
Content my longings, free yourself of dread:
If there is sin, I’ll take it on my head.
[tr. Frame (1967), 4.5]It's true that Heaven forbids certain pleasures,
but it's possible to make bargains.
Depending on what's needed,
there are ways to accommodate our consciences
and to justify bad acts
by the purity of our intentions.
I can be your teacher, Madame;
you have only to let me be your guide.
Satisfy my desire; never fear,
I'll answer for it all and take you sin on.
[tr. Steiner (2008), 4.5]Heaven forbids certain pleasures, in theory;
But one can always get round that;
According to requirement, it is a science
To stretch the limits of our conscience
And to balance out the evil of the deed
With the purity of the intention.
Nothing simpler, My Lady, than to instruct you in these mysteries;
You need only let yourself be led.
Give me what I want and have no fear:
I'll take the sin upon myself.
[tr. Campbell (2013)]Heaven forbids, in truth, certain contentments;
But we find with him accomodations;
According to various needs, it is a science
To extend the bonds of our consciousness
And to rectify the evil of action
With the purity of our intention.
Of these secrets, Madam, we will know how to instruct you;
You just have to let yourself be driven.
Satisfy my desire, and have no fear:
I answer you for everything, and take evil on me.
[Source]It's true Heaven forbids some pleasures, but a compromise can usually be found.
[E.g.]
Among the lessons taught by the French Revolution, there is none sadder or more striking than this — that you may make everything else out of the passions of men except a political system that will work, and that there is nothing so pitilessly and unconsciously cruel as sincerity formulated into dogma.
James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) American diplomat, essayist, poet
“Abraham Lincoln” (1864), My Study Windows (1871)
(Source)
Moral compromises don’t stop happening even when everyone involved is trying to do the right thing.
Elizabeth Bear (b. 1971) American author [pseud. for Sarah Bear Elizabeth Wishnevsky]
Ancestral Night (2009)
(Source)
POGO: I figgers, Porky, that every man’s heart is eventual in the right place.
PORKY PINE: An’ I figgers, Pogo, that if a man’s gonna be wrong ’bout somethin’, that is the best wrong thing to keep bein’ wrong about til forever.
Walt Kelly (1913-1973) American animator and cartoonist [Walter Crawford Kelly, Jr.]
The Incompleat Pogo, ch. 20 “A Tiger Burns Bright” (1953)
(Source)
Many sources paraphrase this as:POGO: Eventual Porky, I figger ev'ry critter's heart's in the right place.
PORKY PINE: If you gotta be wrong 'bout somthin', that's 'bout the best thing they is to be wrong 'bout.
“For your own good” is a persuasive argument that will eventually make a man agree to his own destruction.
Janet Frame (1924-2004) New Zealand author [pen name of Nene Janet Paterson Clutha]
Faces in the Water, ch. 4 (1961)
“They thought they were doing it for the best,” said Windle. “People often do. It’s amazing, the things that seem a good idea at the time.”
No matter how full a reservoir of maxims one may possess, and no matter how good one’s sentiments may be, if one has not taken advantage of every concrete opportunity to act, one’s character may remain entirely unaffected for the better. With mere good intentions, hell is proverbially paved.
William James (1842-1910) American psychologist and philosopher
The Principles of Psychology, Vol. 1, ch. 4 “Habit” (1890)
(Source)
This chapter originally published in Popular Science Monthly (Feb 1887).
… a noble aim,
Faithfully kept, is as a noble deed,
In whose pure sight all virtue doth succeed.William Wordsworth (1770-1850) English poet
“Brave Schill! By Death Delivered, Take Thy Flight” (1809; pub. 1815)
(Source)
Sometimes misquoted "is a noble deed".
I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.
Augusten Burroughs (b. 1965) American writer
Magical Thinking (2004)
He who is mistaken in an action which he sincerely believes to be right may be an enemy, but retains our esteem.
[Celui qui se trompe dans une intention qu’il croit bonne, on peut le combattre, on ne cesse pas de l’estimer.]
Jules Verne (1828-1905) French novelist, poet, playwright
The Mysterious Island, Part 3, ch. 16 (1874)
(Source)
[T]he behaviour of the cat was somewhat peculiar. It was soon noticed that when there was work to be done the cat could never be found. She would vanish for hours on end, and then reappear at meal-times, or in the evening after work was over, as though nothing had happened. But she always made such excellent excuses, and purred so affectionately, that it was impossible not to believe in her good intentions.
George Orwell (1903-1950) English writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Animal Farm, ch. 3 (1945)
(Source)
Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
Mark Twain (1835-1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
“New Year’s Day,” Virginia City Territorial Enterprise (c. 1 Jan 1864)
(Source)
Actions will be judged according to intentions.
Muhammad (570-632) Arabian merchant, prophet, founder of Islam [Mohammed]
The Sayings of Muhammad [tr. Abdullah Al-Suhrawardy (1941)]
In political institutions, almost everything we call an abuse was once a remedy.
[Presque tout ce que nous appelons un abus fut un remède dans les institutions politiques.]
Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French moralist, philosopher, essayist, poet
Pensées [Thoughts], ch. 18 “Du Siècle [On the Age],” ¶ 21 (1850 ed.) [tr. Auster (1983), 1813 entry]
(Source)
(Source (French)). Alternate translation:In political institutions nearly everything that we now call an abuse, was once a remedy.
[tr. Lyttelton (1899), ch. 17, ¶ 8]
Good impulses are naught, unless they become good actions.
[Les bons mouvements ne sont rien, s’ils ne deviennent de bonnes actions.]Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French moralist, philosopher, essayist, poet
Pensées [Thoughts], ch. 5 “Des Passions et des Affections de l’Âme [On the Soul],” ¶ 75 (1850 ed.) [tr. Calvert (1866)]
(Source)
Hell is full of good meanings and wishings.
George Herbert (1593-1633) Welsh priest, orator, poet.
Jacula Prudentum, or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. (compiler), # 170 (1640 ed.)
(Source)
And the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.*
* This is not actually true. The road to Hell is paved with frozen door-to-door salesmen. On weekends many of the younger demons go ice-skating down it.
Terry Pratchett (1948-2015) English author
Good Omens, 6. “Saturday” (1990) [with Neil Gaiman]
(Source)
Good intentions are no substitute for knowing how a buzz saw works, Ira; the worst criminals in history have been loaded with good intentions.
Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) American writer
Time Enough for Love [Lazarus Long] (1973)
