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Motive Quotes

On the reasons hiding behind action.

These motive quotes push back on simple explanations, arguing that no one acts from a single motive and that every action still needs some driving reason behind it.

No one does anything from a single motive.

Quotes by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

When the severity of the law is to be softened, let pity, not bribes, be the motive.

Quotes by Miguel de Cervantes

To withdraw myself from myself has ever been my sole, my entire, my sincere motive in scribbling at all.

Quotes by Lord Byron

The motive power of democracy is love.

Quotes by Henri Bergson

Action Quotes

I have become the chief minister not with a selfish motive.

Quotes by H. D. Kumaraswamy

What makes life dreary is the want of a motive.

George Eliot

Patriotism is an ephemeral motive that scarcely ever outlasts the particular threat to society that aroused it.

Quotes by Denis Diderot

Profit per se is not my motive.

Quotes by Chris Hughes

Is hacking ever acceptable? It depends on the motive.

Quotes by Charlie Brooker

Emotion Quotes

Every action needs to be prompted by a motive.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the central idea running through these motive quotes?
They largely agree that human behavior is rarely driven by one clean reason, motives tend to be mixed, layered, or hidden even from the person acting.
Why do people search for quotes about motive?
People look for motive quotes when writing about ethics, storytelling or self-reflection, since naming a motive often explains a decision better than describing the action itself.
Is there a quote here about justice and motive?
Yes, one argues that when the law's severity should be softened, pity rather than bribes ought to be the motive, framing motive as a moral safeguard against corruption.
Does any quote question whether we truly understand our own motives?
One reflects on wanting to withdraw from oneself as a sole, sincere motive for writing, suggesting that even self-examination can be a motive worth analyzing.
What other themes connect well with motive quotes?
You can explore action quotes and intention quotes for more on the reasoning behind what people do.

One older line insists mercy, not bribery, should be the true motive behind softened justice, adding a moral dimension to questions of intention and identity.