Bed Quote by Honore de Balzac
“A murderer is less loathsome to us than a spy. The murderer may have acted on a sudden mad impulse; he may be penitent and amend; but a spy is always a spy, night and day, in bed, at table, as he walks abroad; his vileness pervades every moment of his life”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Le Père Goriot, 1835
A spy’s betrayal is constant, while a murderer’s act can be isolated and possibly remorseful.
In simple terms: Spies are perpetually dangerous; murder can be a one‑off event.
Key Takeaway
Beware of ongoing deceit.
Themes
betrayal
morality
trust
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political intrigue
- personal relationships
- legal judgments
Key Concepts
ethics
psychology
social trust
Questions to Reflect On
- Can a single act of violence ever be justified?
- How do we measure the harm of constant deception?
A Different Perspective
A spy may act for noble causes, complicating the moral picture.
![“[W]hen I put Jorge in the library I did not yet know he was the murderer. He acted on his own, so to speak. And it must not be thought that this is an 'idealistic' position, as if I were saying that the characters have an autonomous life and the author, in a kind of trance, makes them behave as…” quote by Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/544/umberto-eco-313_characters_w-hen-i-put-jorge-in-the-library-i-did-n_2581277.jpg)
![“They [spies] cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness.” quote by Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/13c/sun-tzu-283_art_they-spies-cannot-be-properly-managed-wi_77546.jpg)
![“Leave a cavity behind the [wall] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick or lava in courses, and then bind them to the fronts by means of iron clamps and lead. The beds and builds, all settling equally and bonded at the joints, will not let…” quote by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d76/marcus-vitruvius-pollio-7498_bed_leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-a_5922.jpg)
