Indebtedness

Famous quotes containing the word indebtedness:

“A man’s indebtedness ... is not virtue; his repayment is. Virtue begins when he dedicates himself actively to the job of gratitude.”
—Ruth Benedict (1887–1948)

“I believe that no characteristic is so distinctively human as the sense of indebtedness we feel, not necessarily for a favor received, but even for the slightest evidence of kindness; and there is nothing so boorish, savage, inhuman as to appear to be overwhelmed by a favor, let alone unworthy of it.”
—Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.)

“Great indebtedness does not lead to thankfulness, but rather to vengefulness; and when a small favor is not forgotten it turns into a gnawing worm.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)