Angel Quote by Samuel Butler
““Pleasure, after all, is a safer guide than either right or duty. For hard as it is to know what gives us pleasure, right and duty are often still harder to distinguish and, if we go wrong with them, will lead us into just as sorry a plight as a mistaken opinion concerning pleasure. When men burn their fingers through following after pleasure they find out their mistake and get to see where they have gone wrong more easily than when they have burnt them through following after a fancied duty, or a fancied idea concerning right virtue. The devil, in fact, when he dresses himself in angel's clothes, can only be detected by experts of exceptional skill, and so often does he adopt this disguise that it is hardly safe to be seen talking to an angel at all, and prudent people will follow after pleasure as a more homely but more respectable and on the whole much more trustworthy guide.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Erewhon by Samuel Butler, 1872
Pleasure is a more reliable guide than abstract notions of right or duty because it reveals mistakes more clearly.
In simple terms: Pleasure guides better than vague duty.
Key Takeaway
Trust pleasure as a practical compass.
Themes
ethics
decision‑making
human nature
Mood
thoughtful
cautious
Type
advisory
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal choices
- career decisions
- relationship boundaries
- consumer behavior
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
practical wisdom
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance pleasure with responsibility?
- When has pleasure led you astray?
A Different Perspective
Pleasure can be fleeting and misleading; it may ignore long‑term consequences.
