A god implants in mortal guilt whenever he wants utterly to confound a house.
AeschylusRead
ATHENA: You wish to be called righteous rather than act right. [...] I say, wrong must not win by technicalities.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of genuine righteousness over mere appearances or technicalities in ethical behavior.
In this quote, Athena asserts that true righteousness is about acting in accordance with moral principles rather than merely seeking the title or label of being righteous. It suggests that ethical behavior should be the priority, as wrongful actions should not be allowed to succeed simply due to clever arguments or loopholes, thus urging people to focus on integrity and moral clarity in their decisions.
Themes
RighteousnessIntegrityMoralityJusticeEthics
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about ethical decision-making in business.
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It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.
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