About this quote

Laws and rulings can be gamed, bought, or simply mistaken, but the inner verdict is much harder to quiet. When what is legal and what is right pull apart, the sense of right holds the last word — the ground on which people have refused unjust orders and paid for it.

When to use it

• An accountant who won't sign off on technically-legal books they know are built to mislead investors.
• An employee refusing an instruction that breaks no rule yet would plainly hurt customers.
• Owning up to a mistake no audit would ever have traced back to you.