--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every person professes to love good and…" description: "\"Every person professes to love good and hate evil, but in his actions his real preferences emerges.\" — Piers Anthony" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/piers-anthony-8252_action_every-person-professes-to-love-good-and_2705063.jpg" --- # Every person professes to love good and hate evil, but in… ![“Every person professes to love good and hate evil, but in his actions his real preferences emerges.” quote by Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/piers-anthony-8252_action_every-person-professes-to-love-good-and_2705063.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/piers-anthony-8252_action_every-person-professes-to-love-good-and_2705063.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/piers-anthony-8252_action_every-person-professes-to-love-good-and_2705063.jpg) > “Every person professes to love good and hate evil, but in his actions his real preferences emerges.” [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People claim moral preferences, yet actions reveal true values, exposing a gap between words and deeds. **In simple terms:** Actions betray real values. Key Takeaway Align actions with stated values. Themes ethics integrity self‑awareness Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership - policy making - conflict resolution Key Concepts moral philosophy behavioral consistency Questions to Reflect On - Do your actions match your words? - What evidence shows your true priorities? A Different Perspective People may rationalize harmful actions despite stated morals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Preference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preference/) ## Related quotes > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“If it were true love, he would never make you sacrifice your dignity to be with him. He would respect you and treat you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-it-were-true-love-he-would-never-make-you-sacrifice-your-dignity/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“we are directed not merely to abstain from evil actions, but even from evil thoughts, and from idle words, and empty talk, and scurrilous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/we-are-directed-not-merely-to-abstain-from-evil-actions-but-even-from/) The Church Fathers > [When your enemy and his or her evil actions come to mind,send him or her a blessing. Wish your enemy well. Hope the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/when-your-enemy-and-his-or-her-evil-actions-come-to-mind-send-him-or/) Senoraroy > [According as a man acts and walks in the path of life, so he becomes. He that does good becomes good; he that does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yajnavalkya/according-as-a-man-acts-and-walks-in-the-path-of-life-so-he-becomes/) Yajnavalkya > [Lord keep us all from sin. Teach us how to walk circumspectly; enable us to guard our minds against error of doctrine, our hearts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-keep-us-all-from-sin-teach-us-how-to-walk-circumspectly-enable/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inactions, and in either case he is justly accountable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/a-person-may-cause-evil-to-others-not-only-by-his-actions-but-by-his/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“Don't let the evil actions of broken people define your view of our world! Don't be terrorized into a diluted, hopeless reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/don-t-let-the-evil-actions-of-broken-people-define-your-view-of-our/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“Evidently, evildoing also has a threshold magnitude. Yes, a human being hesitates and bobs back and forth between good and evil all his life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-i-solzhenitsyn/evidently-evildoing-also-has-a-threshold-magnitude-yes-a-human-being/) [Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-i-solzhenitsyn/) > [The actions of bad men produce only temporary evil, the actions of good men only temporary good ; and eventually the good and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas-buckle/the-actions-of-bad-men-produce-only-temporary-evil-the-actions-of/) [Henry Thomas Buckle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas-buckle/) > [Even when your body does nothing, sin can be active in your mind. 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Hate is a passionate emotion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-hate-you-that-s-good-hate-is-a-passionate-emotion/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-guthrie/i-hate-a-song-that-makes-you-think-that-you-are-not-any-good-i-hate-a/) [Woody Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-guthrie/) ## More by Piers Anthony > [“At first I was exhilarated by my freedom from the responsibility of the kingship. This lasted about seven minutes. I was also depressed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/at-first-i-was-exhilarated-by-my-freedom-from-the-responsibility-of/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [I did not know at first that it would be a series; I discovered after the first novel that I had more to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/i-did-not-know-at-first-that-it-would-be-a-series-i-discovered-after/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [For our stories are not yet finished, and perhaps will never be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/for-our-stories-are-not-yet-finished-and-perhaps-will-never-be/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [I hope to read a Harry Potter novel soon, to see what it's all about. I admit to being annoyed that many good light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/i-hope-to-read-a-harry-potter-novel-soon-to-see-what-it-s-all-about-i/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [“I have, as may be apparent, not much respect for editors as a class.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/i-have-as-may-be-apparent-not-much-respect-for-editors-as-a-class/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [Obviously it could be, because it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/obviously-it-could-be-because-it-was/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [Princess Rose should indeed be a TV movie, assuming something doesn't go wrong. I don't know how good a movie it will be, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/princess-rose-should-indeed-be-a-tv-movie-assuming-something-doesn-t/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [Have a working spouse, because you won't earn a living from writing - not at first, if ever. My wife worked for years to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/have-a-working-spouse-because-you-won-t-earn-a-living-from-writing/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [Being terrified but going ahead and doing what must be done—that's courage. The one who feels no fear is a fool, and the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/being-terrified-but-going-ahead-and-doing-what-must-be-done-that-s/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [Happy children do not seem to grow up to be writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/happy-children-do-not-seem-to-grow-up-to-be-writers/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [I maintain an ongoing survey of Internet Publishing and self publishing, so that it is now possible for any writer with a book to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/i-maintain-an-ongoing-survey-of-internet-publishing-and-self/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [One thing you who had secure or happy childhoods should understand about those of us who did not. We who control our feelings, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/one-thing-you-who-had-secure-or-happy-childhoods-should-understand/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [Barbarian --A Code of Conduct honored by all true barbarian warriors, requiring excellent coordination with weapons, closeness to nature, awkwardness with women, common sense,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/barbarian-a-code-of-conduct-honored-by-all-true-barbarian-warriors/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [But one must go where one's road leads, even when it's a distressing road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/but-one-must-go-where-one-s-road-leads-even-when-it-s-a-distressing/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) > [“What is life, except an ongoing instinct for survival? Nature uses that instinct to make us perform; otherwise we would all relax, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piers-anthony/what-is-life-except-an-ongoing-instinct-for-survival-nature-uses-that/) [Piers Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) [Explore all 82 Piers Anthony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piers-anthony/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. 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