QuoteProject
There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.
Henry David Thoreau
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that even good actions can be corrupted or perceived negatively when mixed with insincerity or ulterior motives.

Henry David Thoreau's quote reflects on the nature of moral integrity. It implies that when goodness is compromised by ulterior motives or personal gains, it loses its purity and can lead to a more negative perception than outright wrongdoing. This serves as a cautionary reminder about the importance of authenticity in our intentions and actions.

Themes

GoodnessMoralityAuthenticityIntegrityUlterior Motives

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about ethics, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of genuine good deeds.

More from Henry David Thoreau

None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
Henry David ThoreauRead
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
Henry David ThoreauRead
As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
Henry David ThoreauRead
That grand old poem called Winter
Henry David ThoreauRead

Similar quotes

The soul is the perceiver and revealer of truth. We know truth when we see it, let skeptic and scoffer say what they choose. Foolish people ask you, when you have spoken what they do not wish to hear, 'How do you know it is truth, and not an error of your own?' We know truth when we see it, from opinion, as we know when we are awake that we are awake.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
A party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life.
John Stuart MillRead
There are millions of people living Thoreau's life of quiet desperation, and they do not have the language to escape from that desperation.
David WhyteRead
Christ will be master of the heart, and sin must be mortified. If your life is unholy, then your heart is unchanged, and you are an unsaved person. The Savior will sanctify His people, renew them, give them a hatred of sin, and a love of holiness. The grace that does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit. Christ saves His people, not IN their sins, but FROM their sins. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.
Charles SpurgeonRead
Abolition of a woman's right to abortion, when and if she wants it, amounts to compulsory maternity: a form of rape by the State.
Edward AbbeyRead
I am often asked the question How can the masses permit themselves to be exploited by the few. The answer is By being persuaded to identify with them.
E. L. DoctorowRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.