“the basis of my vegetarianism is not physical, but moral. If anybody said that I should die if I did not take beef tea or mutton, even on medical advice, I would prefer death.”
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Source: Speech to the London Vegetarian Society, 20 November 1931 ('The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism').
About this quote
A choice held on principle behaves differently from one made for health or convenience. When the reason is moral, no cost-benefit sum — not even survival — reopens the question. It marks the line between a preference you'd trade away under pressure and a conviction you simply won't.
When to use it
- An athlete refuses a banned supplement even when it might cost him the championship.
- A journalist won't name a confidential source despite a judge threatening jail.
- A vegan turns down a free gourmet meal after learning it was cooked with meat stock.