--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction…" description: "\"“Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the idea of duty, are things that, when in error, can turn hideous, but – even though hideous – remain great; ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/victor-hugo-32_character_probity-sincerity-candor-conviction-the_360308.jpg" --- # Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the idea of duty… ![“Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the idea of duty, are things that, when in error, can turn hideous, but – even though hideous – remain great; their majesty, peculiar to the human conscience, persists in horror. They are virtues with a single vice – error. The pitiless, sincere joy of a…” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/victor-hugo-32_character_probity-sincerity-candor-conviction-the_360308.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/victor-hugo-32_character_probity-sincerity-candor-conviction-the_360308.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/victor-hugo-32_character_probity-sincerity-candor-conviction-the_360308.jpg) > ““Probity, sincerity, candor, conviction, the idea of duty, are things that, when in error, can turn hideous, but – even though hideous – remain great; their majesty, peculiar to the human conscience, persists in horror. They are virtues with a single vice – error. The pitiless, sincere joy of a fanatic in an act of atrocity preserves some mournful radiance that inspires veneration. Without suspecting it, Javert, in his dreadful happiness, was pitiful, like every ignorant man in triumph. Nothing could be more poignant and terrible than this face, which revealed what might be called all the evil of good. (pg. 291)”” [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Virtues become grotesque when corrupted, yet their noble core endures, exposing the paradox of good turned evil. **In simple terms:** Virtues can become twisted but retain their greatness. Key Takeaway Recognize the danger of error in noble intentions. Themes virtue corruption paradox human conscience evil good Mood somber thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - justice system - political leadership - personal ethics - religious fervor Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do we guard virtues from error? - Can good intentions justify harmful actions? A Different Perspective Even noble motives can cause horror when misapplied. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atrocity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocity/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“The eye of the spirit can nowhere find more dazzling brilliance and more shadow than in man; it can fix itself on no other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-eye-of-the-spirit-can-nowhere-find-more-dazzling-brilliance-and/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Recognition of the Genocide is the triumph of human conscience and justice over intolerance and hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/recognition-of-the-genocide-is-the-triumph-of-human-conscience-and/) [Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/) > [“Some people were born unsupplied with a human conscience and those people needed killing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulette-jiles/some-people-were-born-unsupplied-with-a-human-conscience-and-those/) [Paulette Jiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulette-jiles/) > [If you get yourself out of politics, religion, everything, and think as a human, think based on love to everybody, at that moment you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/if-you-get-yourself-out-of-politics-religion-everything-and-think-as/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [What is the importance of human lives? Is it their continuing alive for so many years like animals in a menagerie? The value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/what-is-the-importance-of-human-lives-is-it-their-continuing-alive/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [I'm a human being with a conscience, and when I see murder, I cannot stand by, and I have to call the murdered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-m-a-human-being-with-a-conscience-and-when-i-see-murder-i-cannot/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [The truth that humanity was made in the likeness of God is the starting point for a biblical understanding of the nature of man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-truth-that-humanity-was-made-in-the-likeness-of-god-is-the/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“In our day, there are stresses and fractures of the human-animal bond, and some forces at work would sever it once and for all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-pacelle/in-our-day-there-are-stresses-and-fractures-of-the-human-animal-bond/) [Wayne Pacelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-pacelle/) > [Racism is a blight on the human conscience. 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We love to the point that human conscience feels guilty if we do not love the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine-of-hippo/this-is-what-we-love-in-friends-we-love-to-the-point-that-human/) [Saint Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine-of-hippo/) > [The crucial thing is to arouse the awareness that as a matter of human conscience we can never permit the people of any country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/the-crucial-thing-is-to-arouse-the-awareness-that-as-a-matter-of/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > ["Secret migration" across borders is a form of human degradation and evidence of the depravity of the human conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-blasim/secret-migration-across-borders-is-a-form-of-human-degradation-and/) [Hassan Blasim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-blasim/) > [“I always understood the idea of the ultimate redeemer, Christ on the cross. But now I was beginning to see that this is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-always-understood-the-idea-of-the-ultimate-redeemer-christ-on-the/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Irrespective of the conflict with America it is a human duty to show sympathy with the American people, and be with them at these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muammar-al-gaddafi/irrespective-of-the-conflict-with-america-it-is-a-human-duty-to-show/) [Muammar al-Gaddafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muammar-al-gaddafi/) > [The individual who dares commit a crime is guilty in a two-fold sense; first, he is guilty against human conscience, and, above all, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/the-individual-who-dares-commit-a-crime-is-guilty-in-a-two-fold-sense/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) ## More by Victor Hugo > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“First I loved women, then animals, and now I love stones. 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She did not know whether it was good or evil, beneficent or dangerous, necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/loving-in-ignorance-she-loved-with-all-the-more-passion-she-did-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/laughter-is-the-sun-that-drives-winter-from-the-human-face/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Our joys have shadows. The perfect smile belongs to God alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/our-joys-have-shadows-the-perfect-smile-belongs-to-god-alone/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“When those we love are in question, our prudence invents every sort of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/when-those-we-love-are-in-question-our-prudence-invents-every-sort-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Love is a fault; so be it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-is-a-fault-so-be-it/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) [Explore all 2,181 Victor Hugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More Atrocity quotes > [ “...he was telling me that our \[country's\] blood-soaked and atrocity-littered past was important but that the future didn't have to be its slave.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/he-was-telling-me-that-our-country-s-blood-soaked-and-atrocity/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [“Many people do simply awful things out of sincere religious belief, not using religion as a cover the way that Saddam Hussein may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/many-people-do-simply-awful-things-out-of-sincere-religious-belief/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [“Holocaust Theatre (Naskaristana 2799) Most social issues are rooted in religion, most religious issues are rooted in politics, most political issues are vestiges of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/holocaust-theatre-naskaristana-2799-most-social-issues-are-rooted-in/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Fanatics can justify practically any atrocity to themselves. 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