Behavior Quote by David Hume
“Nothing can be more real, or concern us more, than our own sentiments of pleasure and uneasiness; and if these be favourable to virtue and unfavourable to vice, no more can be requisite to the regulation of our conduct and behavior.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, 1748
Our feelings of pleasure and discomfort guide moral behavior; when aligned with virtue, they regulate conduct.
In simple terms: Emotions steer morality when they support virtue.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate virtues that align feelings with moral good.
Themes
ethics
psychology
emotion
virtue
Mood
thoughtful
instructive
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- personal decision making
- education
- leadership development
Key Concepts
moral psychology
sentiment theory
behavioral regulation
Questions to Reflect On
- What virtues should we nurture?
- How do we check harmful impulses?
A Different Perspective
Emotions can be misleading if not examined.
![“The general tendency [is] to be censorious of the vices to which one has not been tempted.” quote by Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/524/rebecca-west-1248_tempted_the-general-tendency-is-to-be-censorious_2967019.jpg)
