Who said “The real sin against life is to abuse and destroy beauty, even one's own --even more,…”?

Verified

Katherine Anne Porter. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"Herr Freytag" in Ship of Fools (1962) Pt. 3

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“The real sin against life is to abuse and destroy beauty, even one's own --even more, one's own, for that has been put in our care and we are responsible for its well-being.”
Verified"Herr Freytag" in Ship of Fools (1962) Pt. 3 · evidenceBeauty

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "Herr Freytag" in Ship of Fools (1962) Pt. 3.

APA

Porter, K. A. (n.d.). The real sin against life is to abuse and destroy beauty, even one's own --even more, one's own, for that has been put in our care and we are responsible for its well-being. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7797-the-real-sin-against-life-is-to-abuse/

MLA

Porter, Katherine Anne. “The real sin against life is to abuse and destroy beauty, even one's own --even more, one's own, for that has been put in our care and we are responsible for its well-being.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7797-the-real-sin-against-life-is-to-abuse/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Porter, Katherine Anne. “The real sin against life is to abuse and destroy beauty, even one's own --even more, one's own, for that has been put in our care and we are responsible for its well-being.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7797-the-real-sin-against-life-is-to-abuse/.