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Half the vices which the world condemns most loudly have seeds of good in them and require moderate use rather than total abstinence.

Samuel Butler

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Samuel Butler
Age: 66 †
Born: 1835
Born: December 4
Died: 1902
Died: June 18
Farmer
Novelist
Painter
Photographer
Poet
Science Fiction Writer
Translator
Writer
Notts
Cellarius
Good
Require
World
Seeds
Vices
Total
Condemns
Virtue
Loudly
Rather
Abstinence
Half
Moderate
Use
Moderates

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Justice is my being allowed to do whatever I like. Injustice is whatever prevents my doing so.
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If you follow reason far enough it always leads to conclusions that are contrary to reason.
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Man is God's highest present development. He is the latest thing in God.
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Since God himself cannot change the past, He is obliged to tolerate the existence of historians.
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Marriage is distinctly and repeatedly excluded from heaven. Is this because it is thought likely to mar the general felicity?
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In practice it is seldom very hard to do one's duty when one knows what it is, but it is sometimes extremely difficult to find this out.
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I believe that he was really sorry that people would not believe he was sorry that he was not more sorry.
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Opinions have vested interests just as men have.
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The history of art is the history of revivals.
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An obstinate man does not hold opinions, but they hold him for when he is once possessed with an error, it is, like a devil, only cast out with great difficulty.
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If people would dare to speak to one another unreservedly, there would be a good deal less sorrow in the world a hundred years hence.
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There is such a thing as doing good that evil may come.
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Fear is static that prevents me from hearing myself.
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People are always good company when they are doing what they really enjoy.
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If God wants us to do a thing, he should make his wishes sufficiently clear. Sensible people will wait till he has done this before paying much attention to him.
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The extremes of vice and virtue are alike detestable, and absolute virtue is as sure to kill a man as absolute vice is.
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