Ethics Quote by Austin Osman, Spare
““a process of self-deception to satisfy and summarily persuade yourself of righteousness. What one among us has any excuse but self-love? We do not create or confess a morality that is convenient, that lends itself to growth, and remains simple, that allows transgression without excuse or punishment. It would be wise and commonsense to do so, whatever the state of affairs in your mind. Nature eventually denies that which it affirms: Through permanent association with the same moral code we help desire to transgress. Desire of those things denied, the more you restrict the more you sin, but desire equally desires preservation of moral instinct, so desire is its own conflict (and weakly enough). Have no fear, the Bull of earth has long had nothing to do with your unclean conscience, your stagnant ideas of morality. The microbe alone would seem without fear!””
About This Quote
Source Book: Spare, Austin Osman, 2023
The passage critiques self‑deception in moral reasoning, arguing that we create convenient ethics to avoid confronting deeper desires and that restricting desire can intensify transgression.
In simple terms: We lie to ourselves about morality, and limiting desire can backfire.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and examine your true motives.
Themes
morality
self‑deception
desire
psychology
Mood
reflective
critical
philosophical
Type
analytical
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- therapy
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
ethical relativism
cognitive dissonance
self‑control
Questions to Reflect On
- What moral standards do you accept without question?
- How does self‑love influence your ethical choices?
A Different Perspective
Desire can be self‑defeating when overly suppressed.
![“Nature [has] implanted in our breasts a love of others, a sense of duty to them, a moral instinct, in short, which prompts us irresistibly to feel and to succor their distresses.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/thomas-jefferson-43_breasts_nature-has-implanted-in-our-breasts-a-lo_531725.jpg)
![“Sigils are the means of guiding and uniting the partially free belief[27] with an organic desire, its carriage and retention till its purpose served in the sub-conscious self, and its means of reincarnation in the Ego. All thought can be expressed by form in true relation. Sigils are monograms of…” quote by Austin Osman, Spare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ffd/austin-osman-spare-2-26152_desire_sigils-are-the-means-of-guiding-and-unit_488849.jpg)
