Quote by Aldous Huxley

Cant is always rather nauseating; but before we condemn political hypocrisy, let us remember that it is the tribute paid by men of leather to men of God, and that the acting of the part of someone better than oneself may actually commit one to a course of behavior perceptibly less evil than what would be normal and natural in an avowed cynic.

Cant is always rather nauseating; but before we condemn poli

Summary

This quote suggests that while political hypocrisy may be distasteful, it is a necessary price to pay in the interaction between practical individuals ("men of leather") and moral authorities ("men of God"). It proposes that sometimes, pretending to be better than one actually is can lead to behavior that is still less morally corrupt compared to someone who openly embraces cynicism. In essence, it implies that adopting a faÃ§ade of virtue can sometimes result in actions that are relatively less evil than what would be typical for a cynic.

Topics

By Aldous Huxley

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

If someone had told me I would be pope one day, I would have

If someone had told me I would be pope one day, I would have studied harder.

To judge a man's character by only one of its manifestations

To judge a man's character by only one of its manifestations is like judging the sea by a jugful of its water.

I've now realized for the first time in my life the vital Im

I've now realized for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest.

Life Time Thetimes

you're not a bad person because you want to be yourself.

you're not a bad person because you want to be yourself.

Self Determination

Familiarity breeds contempt; and children.

Familiarity breeds contempt; and children.

Psychology is the science of the intellects, characters and

Psychology is the science of the intellects, characters and behavior of animals including man.

Edward Thorndike

The moral issue here is whether the United States Congress i

The moral issue here is whether the United States Congress is going to stand in the way of science and preclude scientists from doing lifesaving research.

I always say, as you know, that if my fellow citizens want t

I always say, as you know, that if my fellow citizens want to go to Hell I will help them. Its my job.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

There's always a learning curve, where you've got to learn w

There's always a learning curve, where you've got to learn what your subject is all about.

It used to happen in villages and towns in China that they w

It used to happen in villages and towns in China that they would have - I guess you'd call them beauty contests - where all of the women of a particular village or town would be seated behind these screens or curtains with only their feet showing.

Suit the action to the world, the world to the action, with

Suit the action to the world, the world to the action, with this special observance, that you overstep not the modesty of nature.

William Shakespeare

Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a

Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone.