No man can purchase his virtue too dear, for it is the only thing whose value must ever increase with the price it has cost us. Our integrity is never worth so much as when we have parted with our all to keep it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Virtue and integrity gain value through the sacrifices made to maintain them. The cost paid for moral principles proves their worth.
- In plain terms
- The more you sacrifice for your morals, the more valuable they become.
- What can you take from it?
- Hold integrity dear even if it costs you everything.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What would you give up for your principles?
- How has sacrifice shaped your values?
Another view
Some may argue survival requires compromising virtue sometimes.
More from Ovid
My hopes are not always realized, but I always hope.
Permalink to quote #73 Our minds are circumscribed by our immediate reality but we stop short at the thought of it.
Permalink to quote #75 Minds that are ill at ease are agitated by both hope and fear.
Permalink to quote #72
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