63 Thought-provoking Quotes About Motive (MORAL)

3 Quotes About God and Motives

Motives reveal why we do what we do, which is actually more important to God than what we're doing. - Joyce Meyer — Motives reveal why we do what we do, which is actually more important to God than what we’re doing. – **Joyce Meyer**

God made man to go by motives, and he will not go without them, any more than a boat without steam or a balloon without gas. - Henry Ward Beecher — God made man to go by motives, and he will not go without them, any more than a boat without steam or a balloon without gas. – **Henry Ward Beecher**

The only motive strong enough to induce men to exercise the self control required by the religion of Jesus is love. - Marion G. Romney — The only motive strong enough to induce men to exercise the self control required by the religion of Jesus is **love**. – Marion G. Romney

3 Deep Quotes About Motive by Mahatma Gandhi

The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives. - Mahatma Gandhi — The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives. – **Mahatma Gandhi**

The moment there is suspicion about a person's motives, everything he does becomes tainted. - Mahatma Gandhi — The moment there is suspicion about a person’s motives, everything he does becomes tainted. – **Mahatma Gandhi**

Pure motives can never justify impure or violent action. - Mahatma Gandhi — Pure motives can never justify impure or violent action. – **Mahatma Gandhi**

12 Inspirational Quotes About Motive (LOVE)

“Things that cause friendship are: doing kindnesses; doing them unasked; and not proclaiming the fact when they are done, which shows that they were done for our own sake and not for some other reason.”
Aristotle

The distance is nothing when one has motive. - Jane Austen — The distance is nothing when one has motive. – **Jane Austen**

The key to motivation is motive. It's the why. It's the deeper yes! burning inside that makes it easier to say no to the less important. - Stephen Covey — The key to **motivation** is motive. It’s the why. It’s the **deeper** yes! burning inside that makes it easier to say no to the less important. – **Stephen Covey**

Believe in something big. Your life is worth a noble motive. – **Walter Inglis Anderson**

Life always take on the character of its motive. - J. G. Holland — **Life** always take on the character of its motive. – J. G. Holland

It's motive alone which gives character to the actions of men. - Jean De La Bruyere — It’s motive alone which gives **character** to the **actions** of men. – Jean De La Bruyere

The motive power is the cause of all life. - Leonardo da Vinci — The motive power is the cause of all life. – **Leonardo da Vinci**

Love provides the motive for obeying the commands of the law, but the law provides specific direction for exercising love. - Jerry Bridges — Love provides the motive for obeying the commands of the law, but the law provides specific direction for exercising **love**. – Jerry Bridges

An action is essentially good if the motive of the agent be good, regardless of the consequences. - Immanuel Kant — An **action** is essentially good if the motive of the agent be good, regardless of the consequences. – **Immanuel Kant**

The fundamental motive of true teaching is the love that seeks and studies and performs. - Robert Grudin — The fundamental motive of true **teaching** is the love that seeks and studies and performs. – Robert Grudin

The true worth of a soul is revealed as much by the motive it attributes to the actions of others as by its own deeds. - John Petit-Senn — The true worth of a soul is revealed as much by the motive it attributes to the actions of others as by its own deeds. – John Petit-Senn

We do a lot of things for reasons besides profit motive. We want to leave the world better than we found it. - Tim Cook — We do a lot of things for reasons besides profit motive. We want to leave the world better than we found it. – **Tim Cook**

Top 11 Quotes About Motives of the Heart

“The motive behind criticism often determines its validity. Those who care criticize where necessary. Those who envy criticize the moment they think that they have found a weak spot.”
Criss Jami

What makes life dreary is the want of a motive. - George Eliot — What makes **life** dreary is the want of a motive. – **George Eliot**

Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives. - Oscar Wilde — Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives. – **Oscar Wilde**

It is futile to judge a kind deed by its motives. Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind. - Eric Hoffer — It is futile to judge a kind deed by its motives. **Kindness** can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind. – Eric Hoffer

Many of our deepest motives come, not from an adult logic of how things work in the world, but out of something that is frozen from childhood. - Kazuo Ishiguro — Many of our deepest motives come, not from an adult logic of how things work in the world, but out of something that is frozen from **childhood**. – Kazuo Ishiguro

“The difference there is betwixt honor and honesty seems to be chiefly the motive; the mere honest man does that from duty which the man of honor does for the sake of character.”
William Shenstone

Do not ever say that the desire to 'do good' by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives. - Ayn Rand — Do not ever say that the desire to ‘do good’ by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives. – **Ayn Rand**

Whenever we want to combat our enemies, first and foremost we must start by understanding them rather than exaggerating their motives. ― Criss Jami

We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them. - Francois de La Rochefoucauld — We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld

If your motives are high and noble and your work is hard and you do a good job, then whatever the task is in your life, it will benefit you. - Frederick Lenz — If your motives are high and noble and your **work is hard** and you do a good job, then whatever the task is in your **life**, it will benefit you. – Frederick Lenz

13 Quotes About Motive that Will Make You Think

“Our souls may lose their peace and even disturb other people’s, if we are always criticizing trivial actions – which often are not real defects at all, but we construe them wrongly through our ignorance of their motives.”
Saint Teresa of Avila

In a promise, what you thought, and not what you said, is always to be considered. - Marcus Tullius Cicero — In a promise, what you thought, and not what you said, is always to be considered. – **Marcus Tullius Cicero**

We are all selfish and I no more trust myself than others with a good motive. - Lord Byron — We are all selfish and I no more **trust** myself than others with a good motive. – **Lord Byron**

I don't want to impugn the motives of my colleagues, but my attitude is, speaking just for me, you either believe in border security or you don't. - John Kennedy — I don’t want to impugn the motives of my colleagues, but my **attitude** is, speaking just for me, you either **believe** in border security or you don’t. – **John Kennedy**

Men (people) are rarely aware of the real reasons which motivate their actions. ― Edward L. Bernays — Men (people) are rarely aware of the real reasons which motivate their **actions**. ― Edward L. Bernays

What we believe to be the motives of our conduct are usually but the pretexts for it. - Miguel de Unamuno — What we believe to be the motives of our conduct are usually but the pretexts for it. – Miguel de Unamuno

Look at the means which a man employs, consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal himself! - Confucius — Look at the means which a man employs, consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal himself! – **Confucius**

“You are honest enough by nature to be able to see and judge your own self clearly – and that is a great thing. Never lose that honesty, Bobby – always be honest with yourself, know your own motives for what they are, good or bad, make your own decisions firmly and justly – and you will be a fine, strong character, of some real use in this muddled world of ours!”
Enid Blyton

Never judge a man's actions until you know his motives. - Vikas Swarup — Never judge a man’s actions until you know his motives. – Vikas Swarup

The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history. - Mao Zedong — The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history. – Mao Zedong

Never complain and never explain. - Benjamin Disraeli — Never complain and never explain. – **Benjamin Disraeli**

Do I get up every morning and ask am I doing the things that I believe in and am I doing them for the best possible motives Yes. Unambiguously yes. - Nick Clegg — Do I get up every **morning** and ask: am I doing the things that I believe in and am I doing them for the best possible motives? Yes. Unambiguously yes. – Nick Clegg

I have always examined closely the motives of any group for which I am asked to raise money. - Kate Smith — I have always examined closely the motives of any group for which I am asked to raise **money**. – Kate Smith

15 Thought-provoking Quotes About Motives

“When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know, the end result is tyranny and oppression no matter how holy the motives.”
Robert A. Heinlein

A wrong motive involves defeat. - Mary Baker Eddy — A wrong motive involves defeat. – Mary Baker Eddy

Bitter people are not interested in what you say, but what you hide. ― Shannon L. Alder

A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on his past actions and their motives - of approving of some and disapproving of others. - Charles Darwin — A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on his past actions and their motives – of approving of some and disapproving of others. – **Charles Darwin**

Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own. - James M. Barrie — Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own. – James M. Barrie

This history of culture will explain to us the motives, the conditions of life, and the thought of the writer or reformer.
― Leo Tolstoy — This history of **culture** will explain to us the motives, the conditions of life, and the thought of the writer or reformer.
― **Leo Tolstoy**

“But behavior in the human being is sometimes a defense, a way of concealing motives and thoughts, as language can be a way of hiding your thoughts and preventing communication.”
Abraham Maslow

The main question… is not what motive inspired the law, but what it will be possible for men of bad motive to do with the law. - Benjamin Tucker — The main question… is not what motive inspired the law, but what it will be possible for men of bad motive to do with the law. – Benjamin Tucker

Motive is never easy. Sometimes it occurs to one only later. - John Hawkes — Motive is never easy. Sometimes it occurs to one only later. – John Hawkes

Intellectuals are in a position to expose the lies of governments, to analyze actions according to their causes and motives and often hidden intentions. - Noam Chomsky — Intellectuals are in a position to expose the lies of governments, to analyze actions according to their causes and motives and often hidden intentions. – Noam Chomsky

You should be careful what you wish for, as the reasons for war get confused. One person can be very clear in their motives, but others can have different agendas. - Dougray Scott — You should be careful what you wish for, as the reasons for war get confused. One person can be very clear in their motives, but others can have different agendas. – Dougray Scott

“The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.”
Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Patriotism is an ephemeral motive that scarcely ever outlasts the particular threat to society that aroused it. - Denis Diderot — Patriotism is an ephemeral motive that scarcely ever outlasts the particular threat to society that aroused it. – Denis Diderot

Motives are better than actions. Men drift into crime. Of evil they do more than they contemplate, and of good they contemplate more than they do. - Christian Nestell Bovee — Motives are better than actions. Men drift into crime. Of evil they do more than they contemplate, and of good they contemplate more than they do. – Christian Nestell Bovee

To be in theater you have to be a kind of psychologist, for you're always trying to understand character and motives. - John Eldredge — To be in theater you have to be a kind of psychologist, for you’re always trying to understand character and motives. – John Eldredge

6 Ulterior Motive Quotes (HIDDEN AGENDA)

“Everything pertaining to what’s happening has never come to the surface. The world will never know the true facts of what occurred, my motives. The people who had so much to gain, and had such an ulterior motive for putting me in the position I’m in, will never let the true facts come above board to the world.”
Jack Ruby