This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Just as individual ethics can be understood only in relation to the society within which it is practiced, it is also true that individual ethical behavior is far likelier to flourish within a just society. It might be argued that to lead an ethical life one must work to build a just society.
Behavior | Ethics | Individual | Life | Life | Society | Work | Society |
Once people understand that change is a process--a developmental progression with distinct steps to move through--then our capacity to alter behavior is quite impressive. It is a marathon, not a 100-yard dash.
Behavior | Capacity | Change | People | Understand |
Unethical behavior both stems from and reinforces destructive mental factors such as greed and anger. Conversely, ethical behavior undermines these and cultivates mental factors such as kindness, compassion, and calm. Ultimately, after transpersonal maturation occurs, ethical behavior is said to flow spontaneously as a natural expression of identification with all people and all life.
Anger | Behavior | Compassion | Greed | Kindness | Life | Life | People |
A touchstone that has been widely used in assessing moral behavior is, “What would happen if everyone did that?”
Behavior |
Good behavior is the last refuge of mediocrity.
Behavior | Good | Mediocrity |
Never expect to find perfection in men, in my commerce with my contemporaries I have found much human virtue. I have seen not a little public spirit; a real subordination of interest to duty; and a decent and regulated sensibility to honest fame and reputation. The age unquestionably produces daring profligates and insidious hypocrites. What then? Am I not to avail myself of whatever good is to be found in the world because of the mixture of evil that will always be in it? The smallness of the quantity in currency only heightens the value. They who raise suspicions on the good, on account of the behavior of ill men, are of the party of the latter.
Age | Behavior | Commerce | Daring | Duty | Evil | Fame | Good | Little | Men | Perfection | Public | Reputation | Sensibility | Spirit | Virtue | Virtue | Will | World | Commerce |
Forgiveness is one of the least understood of all spiritual practices. It has nothing to do with condoning poor behavior in ourselves and others. Rather, it calls us to responsibility. In forgiving ourselves, we make the journey from guilt for what we have done (or not done) to celebration of what we become.
Behavior | Forgiveness | Guilt | Journey | Nothing | Responsibility |
A man's first care should be to avoid the reproaches of his own heart; his next, to escape the censures of the world. If the last interferes with the former, it ought to be entirely neglected; but otherwise there cannot be a greater satisfaction to an honest mind, than to see those approbations which it gives itself, seconded by the applauses of the public. A man is more sure of his conduct, when the verdict which he passes upon his own behavior is thus warranted and confirmed by the opinion of all that know him.
Behavior | Care | Conduct | Heart | Man | Mind | Opinion | Public | World |
Maimonides, given name Moses ben Maimon or Moshe ben Maimon, known as "Rambam" NULL
A person who eats sweet food to gratify his desires even though the food will be dangerous to his health is equal to an animal. This is not the behavior of an intelligent person.
Mencius, born Meng Ke or Ko NULL
To act without clear understanding, to form habits without investigation, to follow a path all one's life without knowing where it really leads - such is the behavior of the multitude.
Behavior | Knowing | Life | Life | Understanding |
Mencius, born Meng Ke or Ko NULL
To act without clear understanding, to form habits without investigation, to follow a path all one’s life without knowing where it really leads – such is the behavior of the multitude.
Behavior | Knowing | Life | Life | Understanding |
Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.
Each of us occupies two temporal modalities of being: one which exists in the present and one which stretches through time to our lives’ limits. While the former constantly demands our attention, it is upon the latter that every precept of behavior and hope of happiness is based.
Attention | Behavior | Hope | Precept | Present | Time | Happiness |
Whatever you do in life, do with love! We have no alternative save to act from motives of hate - yet how doleful to make this our choice! For hate is the destroyer of life, where love is its guardian. Hate blinds our vision and warps our talents; but love releases our energies for the creative action that sustains mankind. while all human behavior springs from a mixture of both these great forces of nature, it is within our power to determine which shall prevail as we journey through life... We must tip the balance ever in favor of love if we wish to hurdle the obstacles before us on the road to normal happiness and success.
Action | Balance | Behavior | Choice | Hate | Journey | Life | Life | Love | Mankind | Motives | Nature | Power | Success | Vision | Happiness |
As the sword of the best tempered metal is most flexible, so the truly generous are most pliant and courteous in their behavior to their inferiors.
Behavior |
William Faulkner, fully William Cuthbert Faulkner
No one is without Christianity, if we agree on what we mean by the word. It is every individual’s individual code of behavior by means of which he makes himself a better human being than his nature wants to be, if he followed his nature only.
The behavior of others is not in our direct control. We want others to be friendly and kind to us. The behavior of others is not in our direct control, but our own behavior is. We play a large role in creating the world we live in, especially how others will behave towards us. If you behave towards others in a positive manner, they are likely to reciprocate.
Do not allow another person’s evaluation affect your feelings of self-esteem... Being an honored person is dependent on your behavior towards others and not on other people’s behavior towards you. Why feel any lack of self-worth just because someone acts disrespectfully to you? Keep your focus on your behavior towards others. When someone does not treat you with respect, it is his problem, not yours... Ultimately, it is your mind that decides on how you will consider yourself.
Behavior | Esteem | Feelings | Focus | Mind | People | Respect | Self | Self-esteem | Self-worth | Will | Worth |