Faith Quote by George Eliot
““There may be coarse hypocrites, who consciously affect beliefs and emotions for the sake of gulling the world, but Bulstrode was not one of them. He was simply a man whose desires had been stronger than his theoretic beliefs, and who had gradually explained the gratification of his desires into satisfactory agreement with those beliefs. If this be hypocrisy, it is a process which shows itself occasionally in us all…””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Middlemarch by George Eliot, 1871
A man’s strong desires can reshape his beliefs, turning potential hypocrisy into personal alignment.
In simple terms: Desires can reshape beliefs.
Key Takeaway
Recognize when desire drives belief.
Themes
integrity
self‑deception
personal growth
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- relationships
- career decisions
- ethical dilemmas
Key Concepts
cognitive dissonance
self‑justification
Questions to Reflect On
- Do your actions reflect true beliefs?
- How do you reconcile desire with principle?
A Different Perspective
Self‑justification can blind moral awareness.
![“A hypocrite [is the one who] wants to impress others with an external facade of religious piety that he knows is devoid of internal spiritual substance.” quote by Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e14/sam-storms-12070_facade_a-hypocrite-is-the-one-who-wants-to-impr_924837.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
