---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To live with integrity, it is important…"
description: "\"“To live with integrity, it is important to know what's right and what's wrong, to be educated morally. However, merely KNOWING is not enough. Virtuous..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/miroslav-volf-11496_character_to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-t_1999824.png"
---

#  To live with integrity, it is important to know what's…

![“To live with integrity, it is important to know what's right and what's wrong, to be educated morally. However, merely KNOWING is not enough. Virtuous character matters more than moral knowledge. The reason is simple: like the self-confessing apostle Paul in Romans 7, most of those who do wrong…” quote by Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/miroslav-volf-11496_character_to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-t_1999824.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/miroslav-volf-11496_character_to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-t_1999824.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/miroslav-volf-11496_character_to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-t_1999824.png)

> ““To live with integrity, it is important to know what's right and what's wrong, to be educated morally. However, merely KNOWING is not enough. Virtuous character matters more than moral knowledge. The reason is simple: like the self-confessing apostle Paul in Romans 7, most of those who do wrong know what's right but find themselves irresistibly attracted to its opposite. Faith idles when character shrivels””

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Moral knowledge alone doesn't shape behavior; character determines actions, especially when temptations oppose known good.

**In simple terms:** Knowing right isn’t enough; character matters more.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate virtuous habits over mere knowledge.

Themes

integrity morality character temptation faith

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal decision making
- leadership
- conflict resolution
- ethical counseling

Key Concepts

virtue ethics psychology of behavior spiritual discipline

Questions to Reflect On

- How can one strengthen character to resist temptation?
- What practices turn moral knowledge into virtuous action?

A Different Perspective

Character can be undermined by strong contrary desires despite knowledge.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Educated Morally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educated-morally-2140066/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith-without-works-is-dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-without-works-is-dead-60522/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Integrity Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity-important-257986/) [Knowing Virtuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-virtuous-3512356/) [Moral Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-knowledge-1151709/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Romans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romans/) [St-paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/st-paul-176577/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works/)

## Related quotes

> [“The enemy fights the hardest when you are closest to your breakthrough. Know that your best days are ahead and no weapon formed will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/the-enemy-fights-the-hardest-when-you-are-closest-to-your/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy educated, participatory followership, and an educated, morally grounded leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/a-functioning-robust-democracy-requires-a-healthy-educated/)

[Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/)

> [“When I was young, I thought it was thunder that kills people. But when I learnt physics in St. Paul's High School, I discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/when-i-was-young-i-thought-it-was-thunder-that-kills-people-but-when/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [“Moreover, it is not just that the early documents are silent about so much of Jesus that came to be recorded in the gospels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-albert-wells/moreover-it-is-not-just-that-the-early-documents-are-silent-about-so/)

[George Albert Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-albert-wells/)

> [For, according to the teachings of Islam, moral knowledge automatically forces moral responsibility upon man. A mere Platonic discernment between Right and Wrong, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-asad/for-according-to-the-teachings-of-islam-moral-knowledge-automatically/)

[Muhammad Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-asad/)

> [“Socrates repeatedly emphasized the point that moral knowledge is not mere acquisition of information but personal change. To know the good is to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-b-cowan/socrates-repeatedly-emphasized-the-point-that-moral-knowledge-is-not/)

[Steven B. Cowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-b-cowan/)

> [God doesn't help. I think that's a knockdown argument. I think that it really shows that whatever moral knowledge we have and whatever moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/god-doesn-t-help-i-think-that-s-a-knockdown-argument-i-think-that-it/)

[Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/)

> [It may well seem that Plato does suggest techne is the best model for moral knowledge. In other words, it may seem that his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-roochnik/it-may-well-seem-that-plato-does-suggest-techne-is-the-best-model-for/)

[David Roochnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-roochnik/)

> [My mother said I broke her heart...but it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/my-mother-said-i-broke-her-heart-but-it-was-my-integrity-that-was/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [“Integrity is the most important accessory you'll ever have, it will never go out of fashion, get old, or fade. It's the greatest investment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-jones/integrity-is-the-most-important-accessory-you-ll-ever-have-it-will/)

[Alexis Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-jones/)

> [Your Integrity is more important than your immediate Life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/your-integrity-is-more-important-than-your-immediate-life/)

[L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/)

> [Golf is a game of ego, but it is also a game of integrity: the most important thing is you do what is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/golf-is-a-game-of-ego-but-it-is-also-a-game-of-integrity-the-most/)

[Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/)

> [I'm not a Saban guy, because I don't like liars, and I think he lied. I think he lied to the Miami Dolphins and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-jaworski/i-m-not-a-saban-guy-because-i-don-t-like-liars-and-i-think-he-lied-i/)

[Ron Jaworski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-jaworski/)

> [“I've done some stupid things I regret, but I've managed to keep my integrity. Which is important because integrity is fragile. Break it once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-heatt/i-ve-done-some-stupid-things-i-regret-but-i-ve-managed-to-keep-my/)

[Jonathan Heatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-heatt/)

> [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/)

[Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/)

## More by Miroslav Volf

> [“If forgiveness does take place it will be but an echo of the forgiveness granted by the just and loving God-- the only forgiveness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/if-forgiveness-does-take-place-it-will-be-but-an-echo-of-the/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [Christians believe that there will be a Judgment Day at the end. And it is my belief that on that day justice will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/christians-believe-that-there-will-be-a-judgment-day-at-the-end-and/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [Honoring everyone contains the promise of possibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/honoring-everyone-contains-the-promise-of-possibility/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [If I say, 'I forgive you,' I have implicitly said you have done something wrong to me. But what forgiveness is at its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/if-i-say-i-forgive-you-i-have-implicitly-said-you-have-done-something/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [Every word and every deed, every thought and every gesture, even the simple act of paying attention can be a gift and therefore an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/every-word-and-every-deed-every-thought-and-every-gesture-even-the/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [“...first we should not seek to derive the content of gender identity by mirroring God, because any femininity or masculinity we may find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/first-we-should-not-seek-to-derive-the-content-of-gender-identity-by/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [After my engagement with Muslim friends, I pray more than I used to pray. My prayer life has been enriched by my encounter with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/after-my-engagement-with-muslim-friends-i-pray-more-than-i-used-to/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [The difference between justice and forgiveness: To be just is to condemn the fault and, because of the fault, to condemn the doer as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/the-difference-between-justice-and-forgiveness-to-be-just-is-to/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [For many Americans, Osama bin Laden is the paradigmatic Muslim, an absurd conviction for anyone who has lived with Muslims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/for-many-americans-osama-bin-laden-is-the-paradigmatic-muslim-an/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [The goal of pursuit of justice must not simply be that justice happens but that reconciliation also happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/the-goal-of-pursuit-of-justice-must-not-simply-be-that-justice/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [If we can exit a relationship, pressure to reconcile lessens; if we must live with those who have wronged us, we are pushed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/if-we-can-exit-a-relationship-pressure-to-reconcile-lessens-if-we/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [For Christians, faith is a precious good, the most valuable personal and social resource. When it is left untapped, the common good suffers -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/for-christians-faith-is-a-precious-good-the-most-valuable-personal/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans and myself from the community of sinners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/forgiveness-flounders-because-i-exclude-the-enemy-from-the-community/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [God is the utterly loving giver. God doesn't just love. God is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/god-is-the-utterly-loving-giver-god-doesn-t-just-love-god-is-love/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

> [“When people are kept in abject poverty and illiteracy while others grow rich and “develop their personalities” at the former’s expense we speak of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/when-people-are-kept-in-abject-poverty-and-illiteracy-while-others/)

[Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

[Explore all 59 Miroslav Volf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/)

## More Character quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/)

[David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/)

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“To live with integrity, it is important to know what's right and what's wrong, to be educated morally. However, merely KNOWING is not enough. Virtuous character matters more than moral knowledge. The reason is simple: like the self-confessing apostle Paul in Romans 7, most of those who do wrong know what's right but find themselves irresistibly attracted to its opposite. Faith idles when character shrivels”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Miroslav Volf"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-to-know-what-s-right-and-what/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-to-know-what-s-right-and-what/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/miroslav-volf-11496_character_to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-t_1999824.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/miroslav-volf-11496_character_to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-t_1999824.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/miroslav-volf-11496_character_to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-t_1999824.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To live with integrity, it is important to know what's right and what's wrong, to be educated morally…” — Miroslav Volf",
                "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": "Miroslav Volf",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“To live with integrity, it is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-to-know-what-s-right-and-what/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/to-live-with-integrity-it-is-important-to-know-what-s-right-and-what/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
