Virtue isn't not wronging others but not wishing to wrong others.
DemocritusRead
If thou suffer injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it.
Interpretation
Experiencing injustice is painful, but inflicting it on others is worse.
In this quote, Democritus suggests that while suffering from injustice can be deeply troubling, the true moral failing lies in being the source of that injustice. It highlights the importance of ethical conduct and the inner turmoil that can arise from harming others. This reflection prompts individuals to find solace in their own integrity, even when wronged, emphasizing that our actions define our character more than the wrongs we endure.
In practice
During a speech about ethical behavior in leadership, one might quote this to highlight the importance of maintaining integrity.
Virtue isn't not wronging others but not wishing to wrong others.
Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil.
One should practice much sense, not much learning.
Nature and education are somewhat similar. The latter transforms man, and in so doing creates a second nature.
It is godlike ever to think on something beautiful and on something new.
The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the man wronged.
That very church which the world likes best is sure to be that which God abhors.
I'm not sure if I could tell the difference—between just staring into space and thinking. We're usually thinking all the time, aren't we? Not that we live in order to think, but the opposite isn't true either—that we think in order to live. I believe, contrary to Descartes, that we sometimes think in order not to be. Staring into space might unintentionally have the opposite effect.
What seest thou else_x000D_ _x000D_ In the dark backward and abysm of time?
Is man one of God's blunders? Or is God one of man's blunders?
There are four things that we ought to do with the Word of God - admit it as the Word of God, commit it to our hearts and minds, submit to it, and transmit it to the world.
There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend: One day, the black will swallow the red.
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