Abuse Quote by Thomas Gordon
“True honour is an attachment to honest and beneficent principles, and a good reputation; and prompts a man to do good to others, and indeed to all men, at his own cost, pains, or peril. False honour is a pretence to this character, but does things that destroy it: And the abuse of honour is called honour, by those who from that good word borrow credit to act basely, rashly, or foolishly.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Art of Moral Reasoning, 1764
True honor aligns with genuine virtue and self‑sacrifice; false honor pretends virtue while causing harm.
In simple terms: Real honor is virtuous; fake honor is harmful.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate authentic integrity.
Themes
honor
virtue
integrity
self‑sacrifice
Mood
inspirational
serious
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Leadership decisions
- public service
- personal relationships
Key Concepts
Ethics
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What actions demonstrate your true honor?
- How do you expose false honor in society?
A Different Perspective
Distinguishing true from false honor can be ambiguous.
![“I feel like thanking Paul Dacre every time, because the reason they ask me is because they think I've come through the other end with a pretty good reputation. Loads of people get a bad press but have a good reputation. [David] Beckham - think what he went through. [Bill] Clinton, likewise. You…” quote by Alastair Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e77/alastair-campbell-11941_ask-me_i-feel-like-thanking-paul-dacre-every-ti_126858.jpg)
