motives

"Motives of delicacy, my dear Emilie," said Mrs. Somers, softening her tone, but still with an air of dissatisfaction -- "motives of delicacy, my dear Emilie, are mighty pretty sounding words; and at your age I used to think them mighty grand things; but I have long since found out that _motives of delicacy_ are usually the excuse of weak minds for not speaking the plain truth to their friends.

Tales and Novels — Volume 06 Maria Edgeworth 1808

Those hidden secrets of any human mind which we call motives must ever remain to other minds largely a matter of opinion, but a very fair indication of them can be found when once the actual conduct of the actor has been determined.

The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Vol. I. (of IV.) William Milligan Sloane 1889

At present I shall only take notice in the general, what way they take to prove this assertion; namely, that the church of Rome is the one true catholic church; and that is, by the notes and marks of the true church, which they call their motives of credibility; because, by these they design to persuade them, that the church of Rome is the one true catholic church.

The Works of Dr. John Tillotson, Late Archbishop of Canterbury. Vol. 04. 1630-1694 1820

So we're left with trying to reverse-engineer motives from the actions of the worm, which is hard.

Are 'Stuxnet' Worm Attacks Cyberwarfare? 2010

But to suggest that THIS GOP, which worships at the alter of Palin and Limbaugh, did anything at all out of pure, non-cynical motives is just nonsense. fostert Says:

Matthew Yglesias » The Incredible Fatuousness of Michael Steele 2009

Bottomline: Adopting a “live and let live” attitude toward student goals and motives is more sensible, humane, and compassionate.

English Teachers Help Adult Students Realize Their Goals « Articles « Literacy News 2009

There are good arguments pro and con but I think your characterization of motives is glib.

Go boys, go! Roger Sutton 2009

So we're left with trying to reverse-engineer motives from the actions of the worm, which is hard.

Are 'Stuxnet' Worm Attacks Cyberwarfare? 2010

As far as Ms. Grace goes, the only thing I would say concerning her motives is that her actions are cause for some deep personal reflection on her own motives.

The Volokh Conspiracy » But Isn’t It a Bit Hard to Predict With a 7-Year-Old? 2010

As far as Ms. Grace goes, the only thing I would say concerning her motives is that her actions are cause for some deep personal reflection on her own motives.

The Volokh Conspiracy » But Isn’t It a Bit Hard to Predict With a 7-Year-Old? 2010