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.
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Famous quotes containing the word duty:
“Felix Randal the farrier, O he is dead then? My duty all is ended,
Who have watched his mould of man, big-boned and hardy-handsome,
Pining, pining, till time when reason rambled in it and some
Fatal four disorders, fleshed there, all contended?”
—Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889)
“Every subject’s duty is the King’s, but every subject’s soul
is his own.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“It is easier to do one’s duty to others than to one’s self. If you do your duty to others, you are considered reliable. If you do your duty to yourself, you are considered selfish.”
—Thomas Szasz (b. 1920)