Quotes about motives

The affairs of the world are no more than so much trickery, and a man who toils for money or honour or whatever else in deference to the wishes of others, rather than because his own desire or needs lead him to do so, will always be a fool.

Education -- whether its object be children or adults, individuals or an entire people, or even oneself -- consists in creating motives. To show what is beneficial, what is obligatory, what is good -- that is the task of education. Education concerns itself with the motives for effective action. For no action is ever carried out in the absence of motives capable of supplying the indispensable amount of energy for its execution.

When you are worried about thinking why you can't, you are losing the reasons why you should.

The deeds and motive of man define his personality.

Holiness has to do with more than mere acts. Our motives must be holy, that is, arising from a desire to do something simply because it is the will of God. Our thoughts should be holy, since they are known to God even before they are formed in our minds.

The inner thought coming from the heart represents the real motives and desires.

The motive behind criticism often determines its validity. Those who care criticize where necessary. Those who envy criticize the moment they think that they have found a weak spot.

Many people in a rather reckless context claim to 'just tell it like it is'. In actuality, nobody really stresses what one says so much as the motive behind what one says; hence, he is merely blowing hot air and detracting from 'what is'.

I survive at the edge of friends circles.

Along with our over-giving is our own conditional giving pattern, which can fuel so much of our resentment and feelings of “victimization” by the people to whom we are giving. We may be completely unaware of our expectations of those we assist, and our own anger and resentment may catch us off guard. This is why our martyrdom is so hard on those around us. They are aware of the price we are exacting, even when we are in denial about our own motives and expectations.

Where there is desire, the means to fulfill it are endless.

The Lord weighs the motive of every heart.

This history of culture will explain to us the motives, the conditions of life, and the thought of the writer or reformer.

Every soul is a soul. It is the motives, deeds and actions that define the personality of each soul.

God knows the motive of every man.

Constantly stopping to explain oneself may expand into a frustrating burden for the rare individual, so ceasing to do so is like finally dropping the weights and sprinting towards his goals. Those who insincerely misunderstand, who intentionally distort the motives of a pure-intentioned individual, then, no longer have the opportunity to block his path; instead, they are the ones left to stand on the sidelines shouting frustratedly in the wind of his trail.

In the end, only God can see the heart of an individual and distinguish the difference between legalistic deadweight and the passion of holy solemnity.

Whenever we want to combat our enemies, first and foremost we must start by understanding them rather than exaggerating their motives.

Trust not in Sprites nor the motivations of a Gnome.

I'd rather be befriended as an aimless lost soul than be befriended for adornment, gain or goal.

Jealousy is a detestable motive.

We have nothing less to do than to get inside of whole peoples and change their motives and dispositions.

Judge behavior, not motives.

Durkon: You're only saying that because you don't want the world t

We reflect God's character the most when we give freely of ourselves with no strings attached, no secret motives, no hidden agenda.

An old advertising maxim says you've got to spell out the benefit of the benefit. In other words, people don't buy quarter-inch drill bits. They buy quarter-inch holes so they can hang their children's pictures.

Self-interest lies behind all that men do, forming the important motive for all their actions; this rule has never deceived me

A man who loves others based solely on how they make him feel, or what they do for him, is really not loving others at all - but loving only himself.

Men do not become tyrants in order that they may not suffer cold.

...we each harbor a shadow self with shadowy motives and murky desires...

Never go to another woman about your woman. Not unless you want an insidious form of advice.

The Maker knows the motives of men's hearts.

You may not know my reasons, but you can assume I have them and be kind.

Statistics show that the nature of English crime is reverting to its oldest habits. In a country where so many desire status and wealth, petty annoyances can spark disproportionately violent behaviour. We become frustrated because we feel powerless, invisible, unheard. We crave celebrity, but that’s not easy to come by, so we settle for notoriety. Envy and bitterness drive a new breed of lawbreakers, replacing the old motives of poverty and the need for escape. But how do you solve crimes which

What is strange is that we may remember what we have done, but not always why we did it.

There is a rationale for every action.

Often people that tell others they are "extremely polite" when the situation calls for tact and bluntness are not actually polite people. Instead, they hide behind the word “polite” because they have low self esteem or hidden agendas. Sadly, they impolitely confuse the hell out of everyone, send mixed signals, which then makes people question their sanity and motives.

That's how it's always been: I was always in the clear so long as I was truly guilty. But the minute my motives were honest someone would finger me.

You are honest enough by nature to be able to see and judge your own self clearly - and that is a great thing. Never lose that honesty, Bobby - always be honest with yourself, know your own motives for what they are, good or bad, make your own decisions firmly and justly - and you will be a fine, strong character, of some real use in this muddled world of ours!

The truth is, most people who do what you'd call 'wrong' do it for what they call 'right' reasons.

The fundamental characteristic of the scientific method is honesty. In dealing with any question, science asks no favors. ... I believe that constant use of the scientific method must in the end leave its impress upon him who uses it. ... A life spent in accordance with scientific teachings would be of a high order. It would practically conform to the teachings of the highest types of religion. The motives would be different, but so far as conduct is concerned the results would be practically id

You don't just have people who wake up in the morning and say, "What evil things can I do today, because I'm Mr. Evil?" People do things for what they think are justified reasons. Everybody is the hero of their own story, and you have to keep that in mind. If you read a lot of history, as I do, even the worst and most monstrous people thought they were the good guys. We're all very tangled knots.

The man who pursues moral ends with unmoral means is involved in acontradiction of motives, and nullifies the object at which he aims,since he denies it by his actions.

There is no music that can't be used politically, but the motives behind the creation of that music can be non-political.

I thought my heart was pure. We do like to have such good opinions of our own motives when we're about to do something harmful, to someone else.

Resolutely ignoring Banu's dark mutterings, steeling herself against the barrage of harsh words that questioned her motives, her upbringing, and her morality

I won't sacrifice my characters morals/intentions/motives for the sake of what I believe is right or wrong. If the action fits the character it will be written. That's that.

If I give with the motive to get, regardless of the degree to which that motive besets me, I will walk away impoverished and I will leave those to whom I have given just as impoverished as I have now found myself.

...our monsters walk the dark pathways of secret motives...

In every bad situation we have to see Satan’s motives behind a person’s actions

It is not always the motives behind an action that make it noble. Sometimes it is as simple as the action itself.

Finding this, she was much perplexed as to Henchard's motives in opening the matter at all; for in such cases we attribute to an enemy a power of consistent action which we never find in ourselves or or in our friends...

People will have their excitements, and a good rousing persecution used to stir things like the burning of Chicago or a Presidential election in our day.

Not only the right thing is the right thing, but doing the right out of the right motives is the right thing.

Discernment is the son of good judgment and the father of self-control. When mixed with an already clear conscience, the ability to read the true motives of a critic keeps one's conscience both clear and at ease.

Instruction would be wasted on me. Just to give me the form and I'll sign on the dotted line.