Have not prisons - which kill all will and force of character in man, which enclose within their walls more vices than are met with on any other spot of the globe - always been universities of crime?
Unless the reformer can invent something which substitutes attractive virtues for attractive vices, he will fail.
No exile at the South Pole or on the summit of Mont Blanc separates us more effectively from others than the practice of a hidden vice.
There is no vice so simple but assumes some mark of virtue on his outward parts.
Probably the greatest harm done by vast wealth is the harm that we of moderate means do ourselves when we let the vices of envy and hatred enter deep into our own natures.
The worst vice of the solitary is the worship of his food.
As far as I'm concerned, I prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue.
So much of our lives is given over to the consideration of our imperfections that there is no time to improve our imaginary virtues. The truth is we only perfect our vices, and man is a worse creature when he dies than he was when he was born.
Vice knows she is ugly, so puts on her mask.
Half the vices which the world condemns most loudly have seeds of good in them and require moderate use rather than total abstinence.
An element of exaggeration clings to the popular judgment: great vices are made greater, great virtues greater also; interesting incidents are made more interesting, softer legends more soft.
Through tattered clothes great vices do appear; Robes and furred gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold and the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks. Arm it in rags, a pigmy's straw does pierce it.
We make ourselves a ladder out of our vices if we trample the vices themselves underfoot.
No company is preferable to bad. We are more apt to catch the vices of others than virtues, as disease is far more contagious than health.
Every vice has its excuse ready.
The rhythmic pattern of the poem, which forces continuity of attention - incites a pleasurable compulsion to 'follow' - is either a tried metrical suasion-contrivance or a specially invented pattern of physical insistences, equally, if not more, binding in its effect on the reader. From a straight linguistic point of view, there is room for wonder if there is not latent vice in this environment in which pleasurable physically-compelled responses, produced by incidents of poetic utterance, are identified with the Good.
A lot of vices that I've had over the years were always to make up for some sort of character deficiency, one of them being shyness.
He who busies himself with things other than improvement of his own self becomes perplexed in darkness and entangled in ruin. His evil spirits immerse him deep in vices and make his bad actions seem handsome.
We tolerate without rebuke the vices with which we have grown familiar.
The second vice is lying, the first is running in debt.
A few vices are sufficient to darken many virtues.
I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person's life. God is in everyone's life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else - God is in this person's life. You can - you must - try to seek God in every human life.
Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.
As the purpose of comedy is to correct the vices of men, I see no reason why anyone should be exempt.
Nature, who for the perfect maintenance of the laws of her general equilibrium, has sometimes need of vices and sometimes of virtues, inspires now this impulse, now that one, in accordance with what she requires.
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