This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson
You don’t have to think about doing the right thing. If you’re for the right thing, then you do it without thinking.
Yes, there are powerful systemic forces that can make it difficult for us to do the right thing. In the last analysis, however, ethics is our individual responsibility.
Ethics | Individual | Responsibility | Right |
Most people have convictions about what is right and wrong based on religious beliefs, cultural roots, family background, personal experiences, laws, organizational values, professional norms and political habits. These are not the best values to make ethical decisions by--not because they are unimportant, but because they are not universal.
Convictions | Family | People | Right | Wrong |
What we count the ills of life are often blessings in disguise, resulting in good to us in the end. Though for the present not joyous but grievous, yet, it received in a right spirit, they work out fruits of righteousness for use at last.
Blessings | Disguise | Good | Life | Life | Present | Right | Righteousness | Spirit | Work |
Mencius, born Meng Ke or Ko NULL
No person is without sense of compassion, or a sense of shame, or a sense of courtesy, or a sense of right and wrong. The sense of compassion is the beginning of humanity; the sense of shame is the beginning of righteousness; the sense of courtesy is the beginning of decorum [li]; the sense of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom. Every person has within him these four beginnings; just as he has four limbs.
Beginning | Compassion | Courtesy | Humanity | Right | Righteousness | Sense | Shame | Wisdom | Wrong |
It's not enough that we discern the ethical and effective course; we must follow it. This often takes will power or moral courage: the willingness to do the right thing even when it is inconvenient, scary, difficult or costly.
Mere knowledge alone will not enable us to solve the profound problems of life... Sympathy is an essential part of a right attitude to the riddles of the universe. You must tune up your heart to catch the music of the spheres.
Heart | Knowledge | Life | Life | Music | Problems | Right | Sympathy | Universe | Will |
Paramahansa Yogananda, born Mukunda Lal Ghosh
Two persons who unite their lives to help each other toward divine realization are founding their marriage on the right basis: unconditional friendship.
Oprah Winfrey, born Oprah Gail Winfrey
Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.
Be sure your goal is a right one, for if it isn’t, it’s a wrong one, and nothing wrong every turns out right.
Don’t do things the wrong way. Learn the right way. It’s easier because it’s right.
Paramahansa Yogananda, born Mukunda Lal Ghosh
Indulgence in constant thoughts of fear, anger, melancholy, remorse, envy, sorrow, hatred, discontent, or worry; and lack of the necessities for normal and happy living, such as right food, proper exercise, fresh air, sunshine, agreeable work and a purpose in life, all are causes of nervous disease.
Anger | Discontent | Disease | Envy | Fear | Happy | Indulgence | Life | Life | Melancholy | Purpose | Purpose | Remorse | Right | Sorrow | Work | Worry |
Oprah Winfrey, born Oprah Gail Winfrey
Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.
Paramahansa Yogananda, born Mukunda Lal Ghosh
We are what we think we are. The habitual inclination of our thoughts determines our talents and abilities, and our personality... So whatever you want to be, start to develop that pattern now. You can instill any trend in your consciousness right now, provided you inject a strong thought in your mind; then your actions and whole being will obey that thought. One must never give up the hope of becoming better.
Better | Consciousness | Hope | Inclination | Mind | Personality | Right | Thought | Will | Think | Thought |
The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater, and causing a panic… The question in every case is whether the words used are in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent.
Circumstances | Danger | Free speech | Man | Nature | Panic | Present | Question | Right | Speech | Will | Words | Danger |