Action Quote by Percy Bysshe Shelley
“The great secret of morals is love; or a going out of our nature, and an identification of ourselves with the beautiful which exists in thought, action, or person, not our own. A man, to be greatly good, must imagine intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in the place of another and of many others; the pains and pleasure of his species must become his own. The great instrument of moral good is the imagination.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "Prometheus Unbound", 1820
Moral goodness arises from empathetic imagination, seeing oneself in others and the beautiful ideas, actions, or people beyond oneself.
In simple terms: Goodness comes from imagining others' experiences.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate deep empathy.
Themes
morality
empathy
imagination
virtue
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- teaching ethics
- conflict resolution
- creative writing
- community service
Key Concepts
ethical philosophy
psychology
literature
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we practice empathetic imagination daily?
- What barriers prevent us from seeing others' pain?
A Different Perspective
Imagination alone may not change entrenched selfish behavior.
