Baseness Quote by William Makepeace Thackeray
“What will a man not do when frantic with love? To what baseness will he not demean himself? What pangs will he not make others suffer, so that he may ease his selfish heart?”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray, 1848
Love can drive people to selfish, harmful actions that betray their own moral standards.
In simple terms: Love can make people act selfishly and hurt others.
Key Takeaway
Beware of letting love override ethics.
Themes
love
selfishness
morality
human nature
Mood
conflicted
introspective
Type
philosophical
warning
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- political ambition
- family dynamics
Key Concepts
ethical conflict
psychology of desire
social pressure
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize when love becomes destructive?
- What values should guide love‑driven decisions?
A Different Perspective
Love’s intensity can be rationalized as noble, masking harm.
![“There is no more evil thing in this world than race prejudice, none at all. [...] It justifies and holds together more baseness, cruelty, and abomination than any other sort of error in the world.” quote by H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fc7/h-g-wells-1122_abomination_there-is-no-more-evil-thing-in-this-worl_478066.jpg)
