The Quotes canon
Sourced and curated.
Every quote has been curated by hand and carefully authenticated.
Browse all 10,075 quotes or apply filters in different categories to narrow your search.
Browse all 10,075 quotes or apply filters in different categories to narrow your search.
Justifications and rationales15 quotes
His reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff: you shall seek all day ere you find them, and when you have them, they are not worth the search. — William Shakespeare · 1598The end must justify the means. — Matthew Prior · 1700I must be cruel only to be kind. — William Shakespeare · 1616The most exquisite Folly is made of Wisdom spun too fine. — Benjamin Franklin · 1746I was on this tour for one reason, money. But now I got a new reason, kickin' your ass! — Happy Gilmore · 1996Anger is never without an argument, but seldom with a good one. — George Savile, Lord Halifax · 1750All 15 quotes →End justifies the means4 quotes
I must be cruel only to be kind. — William Shakespeare · 1616The end justifies the means. — Hermann Busenbaum · 1650A means can be justified only by its end. But the end in its turn needs to be justified. — Leon Trotsky · 1938As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil, then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to destroy. — Christopher Dawson · 1942Moral theory2 quotes
The end must justify the means. — Matthew Prior · 1700The end justifies the means. — Hermann Busenbaum · 1650Anger1 quote
Anger is never without an argument, but seldom with a good one. — George Savile, Lord Halifax · 1750Cruelty1 quote
I must be cruel only to be kind. — William Shakespeare · 1616Human nature1 quote
Metaphysics is the finding of bad reasons for what we believe upon instinct; but to find these reasons is no less an instinct. — F.H. Bradley · 1893Iraq War1 quote
The problem here is that there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons. But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud. — Condoleezza Rice · 2002Kicking ass1 quote
I was on this tour for one reason, money. But now I got a new reason, kickin' your ass! — Happy Gilmore · 1996Kindness1 quote
I must be cruel only to be kind. — William Shakespeare · 1616Metaphysics1 quote
Metaphysics is the finding of bad reasons for what we believe upon instinct; but to find these reasons is no less an instinct. — F.H. Bradley · 1893Money1 quote
I was on this tour for one reason, money. But now I got a new reason, kickin' your ass! — Happy Gilmore · 1996Moral relativism1 quote
The end justifies the means. — Hermann Busenbaum · 1650Morality1 quote
The end justifies the means. — Hermann Busenbaum · 1650Nonsense and bullshit1 quote
His reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff: you shall seek all day ere you find them, and when you have them, they are not worth the search. — William Shakespeare · 1598The devil1 quote
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose! — William Shakespeare · 1598Wisdom1 quote
The most exquisite Folly is made of Wisdom spun too fine. — Benjamin Franklin · 1746