--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: never seem unable to find a reason for…" description: "\"“never seem unable to find a reason for thinking I am being virtuous when I make excuses for myself.”\" — Teresa of Ávila" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/teresa-of-vila-1246_quote_never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-t_903154.jpg" --- # never seem unable to find a reason for thinking I am being… ![“never seem unable to find a reason for thinking I am being virtuous when I make excuses for myself.” quote by Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/teresa-of-vila-1246_quote_never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-t_903154.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/teresa-of-vila-1246_quote_never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-t_903154.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/teresa-of-vila-1246_quote_never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-t_903154.jpg) > ““never seem unable to find a reason for thinking I am being virtuous when I make excuses for myself.”” [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑reflection on using moral self‑justification as an excuse to avoid true virtue. **In simple terms:** Excuses mask genuine moral effort. Key Takeaway Identify and confront personal rationalizations. Themes self‑awareness virtue self‑deception integrity Mood reflective critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - ethical decision making - spiritual practice Key Concepts psychology ethical philosophy self‑critique Questions to Reflect On - What excuses do you notice in your own behavior? - How can you cultivate authentic virtue? A Different Perspective Self‑justification can become a habit that hinders progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Excuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuses/) [Make Excuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-excuses/) [Thinking Virtuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-virtuous-1261128/) [Virtuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtuous/) [Virtuous Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtuous-make-1261129/) ## Related quotes > [If venereal delight and the power of propagating the species were permitted only to the virtuous, it would make the world very good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/if-venereal-delight-and-the-power-of-propagating-the-species-were/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [By the worldly standards of public life, all scholars in their work are of course oddly virtuous. They do not make wild claims, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/by-the-worldly-standards-of-public-life-all-scholars-in-their-work-2/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [I'm winning cause I don't make excuses. Excuses is useless. If I fuck up, then so be it and I keep it moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/360/i-m-winning-cause-i-don-t-make-excuses-excuses-is-useless-if-i-fuck/) [360](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/360/) > [We always make so many excuses for ourselves - 'I'm so busy, I'm so tired, I don't want to do it.' You know? 'I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-boyce/we-always-make-so-many-excuses-for-ourselves-i-m-so-busy-i-m-so-tired/) [Cameron Boyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-boyce/) > [Do not make excuses, whether it's your fault or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-make-excuses-whether-it-s-your-fault-or-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't make excuses for why you're not doing what you have already deemed critical to your success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/don-t-make-excuses-for-why-you-re-not-doing-what-you-have-already/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [“If you want to make money, you can't afford to make excuses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-czerepak/if-you-want-to-make-money-you-can-t-afford-to-make-excuses/) [Seth Czerepak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-czerepak/) > [Don't ever make excuses for being yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/don-t-ever-make-excuses-for-being-yourself/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I'm not the person that when he has an off shooting game is going to make excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-crawford/i-m-not-the-person-that-when-he-has-an-off-shooting-game-is-going-to/) [Jamal Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-crawford/) > [I Refuse To Make Excuses For Actions That Still Haven't Been Proven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dul/i-refuse-to-make-excuses-for-actions-that-still-haven-t-been-proven/) [Dul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dul/) > [Its hard to believe someone, when they make so many excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannyrae/its-hard-to-believe-someone-when-they-make-so-many-excuses/) [VannyRae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannyrae/) > [Awesome people dont make excuses or blame others for their own failures, mistakes or letdowns. They stand by their decisions and make adjustments not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-housham/awesome-people-dont-make-excuses-or-blame-others-for-their-own/) [Ricardo Housham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-housham/) > [Don't make excuses, make good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/don-t-make-excuses-make-good/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [I will never attempt to even begin to make excuses for what I did in football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-storey/i-will-never-attempt-to-even-begin-to-make-excuses-for-what-i-did-in/) [Peter Storey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-storey/) > [You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-joseph-schwartz/you-will-find-that-the-more-successful-the-individual-the-less/) [David Joseph Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-joseph-schwartz/) ## More by Teresa of Ávila > [“Of the good things they do many will pass unnoticed, or will even not be considered good at all; but they need not fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/of-the-good-things-they-do-many-will-pass-unnoticed-or-will-even-not/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [I made you, dear, and all I make is perfect. Please come close, for I desire you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/i-made-you-dear-and-all-i-make-is-perfect-please-come-close-for-i/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [How often I failed in my duty to God, because I was not leaning on the strong pillar of prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/how-often-i-failed-in-my-duty-to-god-because-i-was-not-leaning-on-the/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Half-instructed confessors have done my soul great harm; for I could not always have such learned ones as I would have desired. They certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/half-instructed-confessors-have-done-my-soul-great-harm-for-i-could/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Truth suffers, but never dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/truth-suffers-but-never-dies/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [“you will never lack so much of the water of comfort that your thirst will be intolerable;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/you-will-never-lack-so-much-of-the-water-of-comfort-that-your-thirst/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/whoever-has-god-lacks-nothing-god-alone-suffices/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Do you know when people really become spiritual? It is when they become the slaves of God and are branded with His sign, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/do-you-know-when-people-really-become-spiritual-it-is-when-they/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [How friendly we should all be with one another if nobody were interested in money and honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/how-friendly-we-should-all-be-with-one-another-if-nobody-were/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [“an unrestrained infatuation with ecstasy and other extraordinary phenomena developed. These experiences were thought of as something to be obtained at all costs. Among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/an-unrestrained-infatuation-with-ecstasy-and-other-extraordinary/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [“The Lord has no body now on earth but yours, no hands now but yours, no feet now but yours. Yours are the eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/the-lord-has-no-body-now-on-earth-but-yours-no-hands-now-but-yours-no/) [Teresa of Ávila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [Our greatest gain is to lose the wealth that is of such brief duration and, by comparison with eternal things, of such little worth;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/our-greatest-gain-is-to-lose-the-wealth-that-is-of-such-brief/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [God has no hands or feet or voice except ours and through these He works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/god-has-no-hands-or-feet-or-voice-except-ours-and-through-these-he/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [His Majesty knows best what is suitable for us. There's no need for us to be advising Him about what He should give us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/his-majesty-knows-best-what-is-suitable-for-us-there-s-no-need-for-us/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [There is no affliction, trial, or labor difficult to endure, when we consider the torments and sufferings which Our Lord Jesus Christ endured for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/there-is-no-affliction-trial-or-labor-difficult-to-endure-when-we/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) [Explore all 267 Teresa of Ávila quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) ## More Excuses quotes > [You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-joseph-schwartz/you-will-find-that-the-more-successful-the-individual-the-less/) [David Joseph Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-joseph-schwartz/) > [I wasn't a bad kid. My dad left when I was young, so I didn't have much discipline, not that I'm making excuses. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-dyer/i-wasn-t-a-bad-kid-my-dad-left-when-i-was-young-so-i-didn-t-have-much/) [Danny Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-dyer/) > [Sometimes you don't need to hear their excuses or what they have to say for themselves because their actions already spoke the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany/sometimes-you-don-t-need-to-hear-their-excuses-or-what-they-have-to/) [Brittany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany/) > [Most people don't reach their goals because reaching their goals requires them to do things that they don't want to do. You might not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/most-people-don-t-reach-their-goals-because-reaching-their-goals/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Existence of emotions also are nothing without excuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/existence-of-emotions-also-are-nothing-without-excuses/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [The only thing stopping you from getting it done is your excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/the-only-thing-stopping-you-from-getting-it-done-is-your-excuses/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I'm not a sympathetic guy when I see people throwing their lives away and using their life's obstacles as excuses to fail. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/i-m-not-a-sympathetic-guy-when-i-see-people-throwing-their-lives-away/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [It is impossible to need excuses when the focus of your life shifts from 'What's in it for me?' to 'How can I serve?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-is-impossible-to-need-excuses-when-the-focus-of-your-life-shifts/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Excuses cost a dime and that's why the poor could afford a lot of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/excuses-cost-a-dime-and-that-s-why-the-poor-could-afford-a-lot-of-it/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/excuses-are-the-nails-used-to-build-a-house-of-failure/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [I will never attempt to even begin to make excuses for what I did in football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-storey/i-will-never-attempt-to-even-begin-to-make-excuses-for-what-i-did-in/) [Peter Storey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-storey/) > [“If they want to be in your life, they'll find a way to be in your life. Otherwise they'll find excuses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/if-they-want-to-be-in-your-life-they-ll-find-a-way-to-be-in-your-life/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [“Your explanation is good, but your herring doesn't fry, as we say in Ramaldah," he exploded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ashling/your-explanation-is-good-but-your-herring-doesn-t-fry-as-we-say-in/) [Andrew Ashling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ashling/) > [“To recklessly excuse a failure is to believe that I’ve effectively erased it from the story of my life, when I’ve actually imprinted it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-recklessly-excuse-a-failure-is-to-believe-that-i-ve-effectively/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“I’ve got to stop this. Stop worrying about the why. Stop forcing what was happening into the realm of impossible. Stop hiding behind excuses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deatri-king-bey/i-ve-got-to-stop-this-stop-worrying-about-the-why-stop-forcing-what/) [Deatri King-Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deatri-king-bey/) [Browse all 1,069 Excuses quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuses/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“never seem unable to find a reason for thinking I am being virtuous when I make excuses for myself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Teresa of Ávila" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-thinking-i-am-being-virtuous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excuses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-thinking-i-am-being-virtuous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/teresa-of-vila-1246_quote_never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-t_903154.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/teresa-of-vila-1246_quote_never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-t_903154.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/teresa-of-vila-1246_quote_never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-t_903154.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“never seem unable to find a reason for thinking I am being virtuous when I make excuses for myself.” — Teresa of Ávila", "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": "Teresa of Ávila", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“never seem unable to find a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-thinking-i-am-being-virtuous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/never-seem-unable-to-find-a-reason-for-thinking-i-am-being-virtuous/#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 } } ] } ```