Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
The greatest incitement to guilt is the hope of sinning with impunity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the desire to sin without facing consequences can intensify feelings of guilt.
Marcus Tullius Cicero's quote highlights a profound insight into human psychology regarding guilt and temptation. It indicates that the hope or belief that one can engage in wrongdoing without being caught or punished can lead to an increased sense of guilt. This inner conflict between the desire to act without repercussions and the moral awareness of wrongdoing emphasizes the complexity of ethical behavior and personal conscience.
Themes
GuiltSinImpunityConscienceTemptation
In practice
Example use cases
During a seminar on ethics, this quote could illustrate the psychological effects of moral dilemmas.
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes βThose wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
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Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
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Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
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No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
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Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
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