--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Guilt, though it may attain temporal…" description: "\"Guilt, though it may attain temporal splendor, can never confer real happiness; the evil consequences of our crimes long survive their commission, and,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/walter-scott-775_character_guilt-though-it-may-attain-temporal-sple_1395464.png" --- # Guilt, though it may attain temporal splendor, can never… ![“Guilt, though it may attain temporal splendor, can never confer real happiness; the evil consequences of our crimes long survive their commission, and, like the ghosts of the murdered, forever haunt the steps of the malefactor; while the paths of virtue, though seldom those of worldly greatness…” quote by Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/walter-scott-775_character_guilt-though-it-may-attain-temporal-sple_1395464.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/walter-scott-775_character_guilt-though-it-may-attain-temporal-sple_1395464.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/walter-scott-775_character_guilt-though-it-may-attain-temporal-sple_1395464.png) > “Guilt, though it may attain temporal splendor, can never confer real happiness; the evil consequences of our crimes long survive their commission, and, like the ghosts of the murdered, forever haunt the steps of the malefactor; while the paths of virtue, though seldom those of worldly greatness, are always those of pleasantness and peace.” [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Temporal splendor of guilt cannot bring happiness; crimes haunt, while virtue, though modest, yields peace. **In simple terms:** Guilt haunts, virtue brings peace. Key Takeaway Choose virtue over guilt. Themes guilt virtue consequences Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - legal decisions - personal dilemmas - leadership choices - conflict resolution Key Concepts ethics karma Questions to Reflect On - What lingering guilt do you hold? - How can virtue be cultivated daily? A Different Perspective Virtue may lack material reward. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Ghost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ghost/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Real happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-happiness/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Splendor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splendor/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [The paths of virtue, though seldom those of worldly greatness, are always those of pleasantness and peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/the-paths-of-virtue-though-seldom-those-of-worldly-greatness-are/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [If love brings happiness and evil bring pain, why does it feel switched?.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bravo-dior/if-love-brings-happiness-and-evil-bring-pain-why-does-it-feel-switched/) [Bravo Dior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bravo-dior/) > [Patience is a virtue seldom in a woman never in a man...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/patience-is-a-virtue-seldom-in-a-woman-never-in-a-man/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The preaching of divines helps to preserve well-inclined men in the course of virtue, but seldom or ever reclaims the vicious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/the-preaching-of-divines-helps-to-preserve-well-inclined-men-in-the/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Real happiness lies in the completion of work using your own brains and skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soichiro-honda/real-happiness-lies-in-the-completion-of-work-using-your-own-brains/) [Soichiro Honda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soichiro-honda/) > [“Real happiness comes into your life when you accept yourself as you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nitin-namdeo/real-happiness-comes-into-your-life-when-you-accept-yourself-as-you/) [Nitin Namdeo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nitin-namdeo/) > [“As a friend of mine told me about Real Happiness: you wrote this one in American.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/as-a-friend-of-mine-told-me-about-real-happiness-you-wrote-this-one/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [“I don’t know whether it is that I am built wrong, but I never did seem to hanker after tombstones myself. 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Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Real happiness is when you are happy for no reason at all; you are simply being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/real-happiness-is-when-you-are-happy-for-no-reason-at-all-you-are/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“Life’s too short to waste time living it any other way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-carmack/life-s-too-short-to-waste-time-living-it-any-other-way/) [Cora Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-carmack/) > [I learned that real happiness doesn’t come from getting but from giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-learned-that-real-happiness-doesn-t-come-from-getting-but-from/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [Real happiness is so simple that most people do not recognize it. They think it comes from doing something on a big scale, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-s-marden/real-happiness-is-so-simple-that-most-people-do-not-recognize-it-they/) [Orison S. Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-s-marden/) > [For real happiness, for real lasting stable happiness, one has to make a journey deep within oneself and see that one gets rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-n-goenka/for-real-happiness-for-real-lasting-stable-happiness-one-has-to-make/) [S. N. Goenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-n-goenka/) > [“Real happiness comes from a deeper place, not from anything external. The freshest and best water flows from the deepest, darkest chasms of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-schuller/real-happiness-comes-from-a-deeper-place-not-from-anything-external/) Bobby Schuller > [The most difficult thing for us seems to be to give of ourselves, to do away with selfishness. 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