Law is nothing other than a certain ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the person who has the care of the community.
Thomas AquinasRead
To bear with patience wrongs done to oneself is a mark of perfection, but to bear with patience wrongs done to someone else is a mark of imperfection and even of actual sin.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Patience towards personal grievances signifies personal growth, while patience towards the wrongs of others reveals moral shortcomings.
In this quote, Thomas Aquinas highlights the ethical implications of our reactions to wrongdoing, suggesting that enduring personal offenses with patience reflects a level of personal maturity and perfection. Conversely, the inability to respond with the same patience towards injustices faced by others signifies a failure in moral character and may indicate a deeper sinfulness within oneself, prompting reflection on the different standards we often hold for ourselves versus others.
Themes
PatienceWrongsForgivenessImperfectionPerfection
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on ethics, one might use the quote to illustrate the moral complexities of forgiveness.
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We are like children, who stand in need of masters to enlighten us and direct us; God has provided for this, by appointing his angels to be our teachers and guides.
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To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
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Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.
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