--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I see what is right and approve, but I do…" description: "\"I see what is right and approve, but I do what is wrong.\" — Anthony Burgess" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/anthony-burgess-1167_quote_i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do_1400537.jpg" --- # I see what is right and approve, but I do what is wrong. ![“I see what is right and approve, but I do what is wrong.” quote by Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/anthony-burgess-1167_quote_i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do_1400537.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/anthony-burgess-1167_quote_i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do_1400537.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/anthony-burgess-1167_quote_i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do_1400537.jpg) > “I see what is right and approve, but I do what is wrong.” [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker knows the right thing but chooses the wrong, highlighting moral conflict. **In simple terms:** Knowing right but doing wrong shows inner conflict. Key Takeaway Align actions with moral knowledge. Themes morality conflict choice Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - political decisions - personal temptations Key Concepts ethical dissonance self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - Why do we act against our values? - How can we resolve inner conflict? A Different Perspective Moral awareness doesn’t guarantee ethical behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approve/) [Approve Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approve-wrong-2440454/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Right Approve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-approve-4906219/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) ## Related quotes > [ “The heresy of an age of reason,' or some such slovos \[words\]. 'I see what is right and approve, but I do what is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/the-heresy-of-an-age-of-reason-or-some-such-slovos-words-i-see-what/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [I see the right, and I approve it too,Condemn the wrong, and yet the wrong pursue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-garth/i-see-the-right-and-i-approve-it-too-condemn-the-wrong-and-yet-the/) [Samuel Garth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-garth/) > [“This has nothing to do with what anyone else in all the world would approve or forbid. This is all their own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/this-has-nothing-to-do-with-what-anyone-else-in-all-the-world-would/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [I don't entirely approve of some of the things I have done, or am, or have been. But I'm me. God knows, I'm me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/i-don-t-entirely-approve-of-some-of-the-things-i-have-done-or-am-or/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [Beauty relies on you, don't wait for someone else to approve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destiny-holmes/beauty-relies-on-you-don-t-wait-for-someone-else-to-approve/) [Destiny Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destiny-holmes/) > [“The world is cruel enough without our compounding it; I approve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/the-world-is-cruel-enough-without-our-compounding-it-i-approve/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [I don't say any word that I don't approve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/i-don-t-say-any-word-that-i-don-t-approve/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [“Bezos wanted to personally approve each equation and track the results over time. It would be his way of guiding a team’s evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/bezos-wanted-to-personally-approve-each-equation-and-track-the/) [Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/) > [As I love and approve of myself and others, my life gets better and better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/as-i-love-and-approve-of-myself-and-others-my-life-gets-better-and/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [Nothing should lessen our satisfaction with ourselves as much as when we notice that we disapprove of something at one time that we approve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/nothing-should-lessen-our-satisfaction-with-ourselves-as-much-as-when/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/i-have-never-wished-to-cater-to-the-crowd-for-what-i-know-they-do-not/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [The best investments are the easiest ones to approve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-schwarzman/the-best-investments-are-the-easiest-ones-to-approve/) [Stephen A. Schwarzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-schwarzman/) > [I don't approve of sunbathing, and it's bad for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/i-don-t-approve-of-sunbathing-and-it-s-bad-for-you/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [The U.N. guards the vital principles entrenched in its charter, notably the sovereign equality of states and the inadmissibility of interference in their internal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-tharoor/the-u-n-guards-the-vital-principles-entrenched-in-its-charter-notably/) [Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/) > [I've always wanted to be sure my parents approve of what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tisdale/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-sure-my-parents-approve-of-what-i-do/) [Ashley Tisdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tisdale/) ## More by Anthony Burgess > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [Life is a wretched gray Saturday, but it has to be lived through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/life-is-a-wretched-gray-saturday-but-it-has-to-be-lived-through/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [A novelist should not be too intelligent either, although... he may be permitted to be an intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/a-novelist-should-not-be-too-intelligent-either-although-he-may-be/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [“A man who serves language, however imperfectly, should always serve truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/a-man-who-serves-language-however-imperfectly-should-always-serve/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [All human life is here, but the Holy Ghost seems to be somewhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/all-human-life-is-here-but-the-holy-ghost-seems-to-be-somewhere-else/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [Rome's just a city like anywhere else. A vastly overrated city, I'd say. It trades on belief just as Stratford trades on Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/rome-s-just-a-city-like-anywhere-else-a-vastly-overrated-city-i-d-say/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [The important thing is moral choice. Evil has to exist along with good, in order that moral choice may operate. Life is sustained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/the-important-thing-is-moral-choice-evil-has-to-exist-along-with-good/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [Civilised my syphilised yarbles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/civilised-my-syphilised-yarbles/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [The downtrodden are the great creators of slang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/the-downtrodden-are-the-great-creators-of-slang/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [Without class differences, England would cease to be the living theatre it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/without-class-differences-england-would-cease-to-be-the-living/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [The ideal reader of my novels is a lapsed Catholic and failed musician, short-sighted, colour-blind, auditorily biased, who has read the books that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/the-ideal-reader-of-my-novels-is-a-lapsed-catholic-and-failed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [... A CLOCKWORK ORANGE- and I said: 'That's a fair gloopy title. Who ever heard of a clockwork orange?' Then I read a malenky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/a-clockwork-orange-and-i-said-that-s-a-fair-gloopy-title-who-ever/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [A work of fiction should be, for its author, a journey into the unknown, and the prose should convey the difficulties of the journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/a-work-of-fiction-should-be-for-its-author-a-journey-into-the-unknown/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [“They don't go into what is the cause of goodness, so why of the other shop? If lewdies are good that's because they like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/they-don-t-go-into-what-is-the-cause-of-goodness-so-why-of-the-other/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [“By definition, a human being is endowed with free will. He can use this to choose between good and evil. If he can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/by-definition-a-human-being-is-endowed-with-free-will-he-can-use-this/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) [Explore all 261 Anthony Burgess quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) ## More Approve quotes > [I've always wanted to be sure my parents approve of what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tisdale/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-sure-my-parents-approve-of-what-i-do/) [Ashley Tisdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tisdale/) > [The U.N. guards the vital principles entrenched in its charter, notably the sovereign equality of states and the inadmissibility of interference in their internal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-tharoor/the-u-n-guards-the-vital-principles-entrenched-in-its-charter-notably/) [Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/) > [I don't approve of sunbathing, and it's bad for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/i-don-t-approve-of-sunbathing-and-it-s-bad-for-you/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [The best investments are the easiest ones to approve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-schwarzman/the-best-investments-are-the-easiest-ones-to-approve/) [Stephen A. Schwarzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-schwarzman/) > [I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/i-have-never-wished-to-cater-to-the-crowd-for-what-i-know-they-do-not/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Nothing should lessen our satisfaction with ourselves as much as when we notice that we disapprove of something at one time that we approve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/nothing-should-lessen-our-satisfaction-with-ourselves-as-much-as-when/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [As I love and approve of myself and others, my life gets better and better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/as-i-love-and-approve-of-myself-and-others-my-life-gets-better-and/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [“Bezos wanted to personally approve each equation and track the results over time. It would be his way of guiding a team’s evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/bezos-wanted-to-personally-approve-each-equation-and-track-the/) [Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/) > [I don't say any word that I don't approve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/i-don-t-say-any-word-that-i-don-t-approve/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [“The world is cruel enough without our compounding it; I approve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/the-world-is-cruel-enough-without-our-compounding-it-i-approve/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [Beauty relies on you, don't wait for someone else to approve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destiny-holmes/beauty-relies-on-you-don-t-wait-for-someone-else-to-approve/) [Destiny Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destiny-holmes/) > [I don't entirely approve of some of the things I have done, or am, or have been. But I'm me. God knows, I'm me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/i-don-t-entirely-approve-of-some-of-the-things-i-have-done-or-am-or/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [“This has nothing to do with what anyone else in all the world would approve or forbid. This is all their own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/this-has-nothing-to-do-with-what-anyone-else-in-all-the-world-would/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [I don't really do things to make other people approve or disapprove of my decisions. I'm too grown for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larsa-pippen/i-don-t-really-do-things-to-make-other-people-approve-or-disapprove/) [Larsa Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larsa-pippen/) > [“When we approve of ourselves we do not need any further stamps from others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nithya-shanti/when-we-approve-of-ourselves-we-do-not-need-any-further-stamps-from/) [Nithya Shanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nithya-shanti/) [Browse all 67 Approve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approve/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I see what is right and approve, but I do what is wrong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony Burgess" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do-what-is-wrong/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Approve" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do-what-is-wrong/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/anthony-burgess-1167_quote_i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do_1400537.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/anthony-burgess-1167_quote_i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do_1400537.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/anthony-burgess-1167_quote_i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do_1400537.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I see what is right and approve, but I do what is wrong.” — Anthony Burgess", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anthony Burgess", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I see what is right and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do-what-is-wrong/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/i-see-what-is-right-and-approve-but-i-do-what-is-wrong/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```