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I believe the moral losses of expediency always far outweigh the temporary gains.
Wendell Willkie
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Short-term benefits gained through unethical behavior are often outweighed by long-term moral consequences.

Wendell Willkie's quote emphasizes the importance of maintaining moral integrity over seeking immediate benefits through expedient decisions. It suggests that while taking shortcuts may lead to temporary advantages, such actions can lead to greater moral and ethical losses that harm one's character and reputation in the long run.

Themes

MoralityExpediencyLossesGainsIntegrity

In practice

Example use cases

During a corporate ethics seminar, this quote could be used to highlight the importance of ethical decision-making.

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Freedom is an indivisible word. If we want to enjoy it, and fight for it, we must be prepared to extend it to everyone, whether they are rich or poor, whether they agree with us or not, no matter what their race or the color of their skin.
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It is from weakness that people reach for dictators and concentrated government power. Only the strong can be free. And only the productive can be strong.
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To suppress minority thinking and minority expression would tend to freeze society and prevent progress. Now more than ever we must keep in the forefront of our minds the fact that whenever we take away the liberties of those we hate, we are opening the way to loss of liberty for those we love.
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Quote by Wendell Willkie | QuoteProject