Life is constant change: as corporeal life weakens, spiritual life strengthens and grows.
War with oneself and self-violence cannot but be a consequence of our former sins; but this self-violence is loving and lawful. A mother is pulling her child out from the jaws of a beast. The child is in pain, but, of course, he must ascribe his suffering not to his mother, who is saving him, but to the beast, who wants to keep hold of him. A human being must see the battle between good and evil the same way: the good, like the mother, is pulling our soul away from evil, and although this battle is painful, it is necessary and good for us. We would be worse off if this battle did not take place. We cannot be good without it.
— Pascal
As we become more enlightened, we appear worse to ourselves than we previously thought. We are surprised at just how blind we were as we see a whole swarm of shameful feelings emanating from our heart. We had never imagined that we could keep such filth in ourselves, and we view its appearance with horror. But we need not be surprised or discouraged. We have not become worse than we were; on the contrary.
— Fenelon
Learn as you live. Do not wait for old age to bring you wisdom.
— Solon
Above all, get quit of the absurd idea that Heaven will interfere to correct great errors, while allowing its laws to take their course in punishing small ones. If you prepare a dish of food carelessly, you do not expect Providence to make it palatable; neither if, through years of folly, you misguide your own life, need you expect Divine interference to bring round everything at last for the best.
— John Ruskin
Virtue always moves forward and yet it always starts from the beginning.
— Kant
The goodness of a dove is not virtue. A dove is no more virtuous than a wolf. Virtue and its degrees begin only when effort begins.
If it pleased God, he would have made us all one people, but he is testing us.
Wherever you may be, all of you must strive with all your strength towards the good: a day will come when you will all be united by God.
— The Quran
We must not stop on the path of self-perfection. The moment you feel more interested in the external world than in your soul, know that you have stopped; the world is moving past you, and you are standing still.
