--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whereas moral courage is the righting of…" description: "\"Whereas moral courage is the righting of wrongs, creative courage, in contrast, is the discovering of new forms, new symbols, new patterns on which a n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/rollo-may-1295_built_whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of_2821158.jpg" --- # Whereas moral courage is the righting of wrongs, creative… ![“Whereas moral courage is the righting of wrongs, creative courage, in contrast, is the discovering of new forms, new symbols, new patterns on which a new society can be built.” quote by Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/rollo-may-1295_built_whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of_2821158.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/rollo-may-1295_built_whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of_2821158.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/rollo-may-1295_built_whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of_2821158.jpg) > “Whereas moral courage is the righting of wrongs, creative courage, in contrast, is the discovering of new forms, new symbols, new patterns on which a new society can be built.” [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral courage fixes problems; creative courage builds new possibilities by inventing fresh symbols and structures for society. **In simple terms:** Moral courage corrects; creative courage creates. Key Takeaway Embrace both fixing and inventing. Themes courage creativity societal change Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - leadership - artistic projects - social reform - community building Key Concepts existentialism innovation symbolic imagination Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance correcting wrongs with inventing new paths? - What symbols could you create for your community? A Different Perspective Creative courage may lack clear metrics for success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Contrast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrast/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Contrast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-contrast-3591951/) [Courage Righting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-righting-3591952/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-courage-2237810/) [Discovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovering/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-courage/) [Patterns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patterns/) [Symbols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbols/) ## Related quotes > [Whatever sphere we may be in, there is a profound joy in the realization that we are helping to form the structure of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/whatever-sphere-we-may-be-in-there-is-a-profound-joy-in-the/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [It is highly significant and indeed almost a rule, that moral courage has its source in such identification through one's own sensitivity with suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/it-is-highly-significant-and-indeed-almost-a-rule-that-moral-courage/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [... what the artist or creative scientist feels is not anxiety or fear; it is joy. I use the word in contrast to happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/what-the-artist-or-creative-scientist-feels-is-not-anxiety-or-fear-it/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Here's an experiment: For one whole day think, speak, and act exactly as you would if you were absolutely convinced of the truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/here-s-an-experiment-for-one-whole-day-think-speak-and-act-exactly-as/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) > [And one more idea which may be laughed and sneered at in some supposedly sophisticated circles, but I just have to believe that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/and-one-more-idea-which-may-be-laughed-and-sneered-at-in-some/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Christianity without the cross is nothing. The cross was the fitting close of a life of rejection, scorn and defeat. But in no true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-kelvin/christianity-without-the-cross-is-nothing-the-cross-was-the-fitting/) [Lord Kelvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-kelvin/) > [It is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/it-is-almost-inevitable-that-our-faith-will-be-challenged-we-may-at/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [“You have behaved in an exemplary manner until now. Even when you could have gained by doing something wrong, you refrained from doing so.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/you-have-behaved-in-an-exemplary-manner-until-now-even-when-you-could/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . Real heroism lies, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-comes-from-the-renunciation-of/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all that you really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/if-you-feel-your-value-lies-in-being-merely-decorative-i-fear-that/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [There is too much animal courage in society and not sufficient moral courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-baker-eddy/there-is-too-much-animal-courage-in-society-and-not-sufficient-moral/) [Mary Baker Eddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-baker-eddy/) > [Years ago I was asked this question: Do terrorists fear anything? I said, 'I suspect they would fear a morally strong America.' They would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/years-ago-i-was-asked-this-question-do-terrorists-fear-anything-i/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Have the moral courage to stand firm in obeying God’s will, even if you have to stand alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulisses-soares/have-the-moral-courage-to-stand-firm-in-obeying-god-s-will-even-if/) [Ulisses Soares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulisses-soares/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) ## More by Rollo May > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Political freedom is to be cherished indeed. But there is no political freedom that is not indissolubly bound to the inner personal freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/political-freedom-is-to-be-cherished-indeed-but-there-is-no-political/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Joy is the effect which comes when we use our powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-effect-which-comes-when-we-use-our-powers/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [In religion, it is not the sycophants or those who cling most faithfully to the status quo who are ultimately praised. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/in-religion-it-is-not-the-sycophants-or-those-who-cling-most/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One of the few blessings of living in an age of anxiety is that we are forced to become aware of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-of-the-few-blessings-of-living-in-an-age-of-anxiety-is-that-we/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Intimacy requires courage because risk is inescapable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/intimacy-requires-courage-because-risk-is-inescapable/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Artists do not run away from non-being, but by encountering and wrestling with it, force it to produce being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/artists-do-not-run-away-from-non-being-but-by-encountering-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [“Technology is the knack of so arranging the world that we do not experience it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/technology-is-the-knack-of-so-arranging-the-world-that-we-do-not/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [By the creative act, we are able to reach beyond our own death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/by-the-creative-act-we-are-able-to-reach-beyond-our-own-death/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Joy is the zest that you get out of using your talents, your understanding, the totality of your being, for great aims...That's the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/joy-is-the-zest-that-you-get-out-of-using-your-talents-your/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [One must have at least a readiness to love the other person, broadly speaking, if one is to be able to understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/one-must-have-at-least-a-readiness-to-love-the-other-person-broadly/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Man is the "ethical animal" ethical in potentiality even if, unfortunately, not in actuality. His capacity for ethical judgment like freedom, reason and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/man-is-the-ethical-animal-ethical-in-potentiality-even-if/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [Evil, in this system of ethics, is that which tears apart, shuts out the other person, raises barriers, sets people against each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/evil-in-this-system-of-ethics-is-that-which-tears-apart-shuts-out-the/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [We receive love — from our children as well as others — not in proportion to our demands or sacrifices or needs, but roughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/we-receive-love-from-our-children-as-well-as-others-not-in-proportion/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/the-opposite-of-courage-in-our-society-is-not-cowardice-it-is/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Explore all 259 Rollo May quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) ## More Built quotes > [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) > [Call me the rap assassinator / rhymes rugged and built like Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raekwon/call-me-the-rap-assassinator-rhymes-rugged-and-built-like/) [Raekwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raekwon/) > [Do we make ourselves into what we become or is it built into our genes, into the fate spun for us by whatever shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/do-we-make-ourselves-into-what-we-become-or-is-it-built-into-our/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [God and I have built an immense fire together. We keep each other happy and warm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafez/god-and-i-have-built-an-immense-fire-together-we-keep-each-other/) [Hafez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafez/) > [When we built Roomba, we explicitly designed it to not have a face. 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I could have played every RPG video game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/imagine-what-i-could-have-done-in-ten-years-i-could-have-learned-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,164 Built quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whereas moral courage is the righting of wrongs, creative courage, in contrast, is the discovering of new forms, new symbols, new patterns on which a new society can be built.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rollo May" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of-wrongs-creative-courage-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Built" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of-wrongs-creative-courage-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/rollo-may-1295_built_whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of_2821158.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/rollo-may-1295_built_whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of_2821158.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/554/rollo-may-1295_built_whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of_2821158.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whereas moral courage is the righting of wrongs, creative courage, in contrast, is the discovering of new…” — Rollo May", "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": "Rollo May", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whereas moral courage is the righting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of-wrongs-creative-courage-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/whereas-moral-courage-is-the-righting-of-wrongs-creative-courage-in/#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 } } ] } ```