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About this quote

What does it mean?
Only pursue actions you would not shy away from asking divine approval for.
In plain terms
Only do things you'd ask heaven to bless.
What can you take from it?
Conscience should guide all undertakings.

Where it applies

  • moral decision-making
  • risk-taking

Putting it to work

  • moral checklist
  • conscience checks

Questions to consider

  • What would you ask heaven to bless?
  • How do you check your conscience?

Another view

It assumes everyone shares the same notion of heaven.

More from Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

  1. My inquiries into physics could perhaps be given the title: legacies. For people do also bequeath trifles, after all.

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  2. Not only did he not believe in ghosts, he wasn't even afraid of them.

    Permalink to quote #139
  3. My head lies at least a foot closer to my heart than is the case with other men: that is why I am so reasonable.

    Permalink to quote #136

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