Duty

Duty

Duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; Old French: deu, did, past participle of devoir; Latin: debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a term that conveys a sense of moral commitment or obligation to someone or something. The moral commitment should result in action; it is not a matter of passive feeling or mere recognition. When someone recognizes a duty, that person theoretically commits themself to its fulfillment without considering their own self-interest. This is not to suggest that living a life of duty entirely precludes a life of leisure; however, its fulfilment generally involves some sacrifice of immediate self-interest. Typically, "the demands of justice, honor, and reputation are deeply bound up" with duty.

Read more about Duty.

Famous quotes containing the word duty:

    “Where there are no rights, there are no duties. To tell the truth is thus a duty; but it is a duty only in respect to one who has a right to the truth.”
    —Henri Benjamin Constant De Rebecque (1767–1830)

    “Every subject’s duty is the King’s, but every subject’s soul
    is his own.”
    —William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    “Oh! Duty is an icy shadow. It will freeze you. It cannot fill the heart’s sanctuary.”
    —Augusta Evans (1835–1909)