Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes

Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Spiritual Quotes , War Quotes

Oscar Wilde said that sunsets were not valued because we could not pay for sunsets. But Oscar Wilde was wrong; we can pay for sunsets. We can pay for them by not being Oscar Wilde.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Sunset Quotes , Oscars Quotes

The oligarchic character of the modern English commonwealth does not rest, like many oligarchies, on the cruelty of the rich to the poor. It does not even rest on the kindness of the rich to the poor. It rests on the perennial and unfailing kindness of the poor to the rich.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Kindness Quotes , Character Quotes

I still think sincere pessimism the unpardonable sin.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Thinking Quotes , Sin Quotes

Free verse'? You may as well call sleeping in a ditch 'free architecture'.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Sleep Quotes , May Quotes

The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Hate Quotes , Argument Quotes

If, therefore, nonsense is really to be the literature of the future, it must have its own version of the Cosmos to offer; the world must not only be tragic, romantic, and religious, it must be nonsensical also.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Religious Quotes , Cosmos Quotes

One of the great disadvantages of hurry is that it takes such a long time.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Life Quotes , Time Quotes

But since he stood for England And knew what England means, Unless you give him bacon You must not give him beans.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Food Quotes , Mean Quotes

We do not need to get good laws to restrain bad people. We need to get good people to restrain us from bad laws.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Law Quotes , People Quotes

There are two ways of dealing with nonsense in this world. One way is to put nonsense in the right place; as when people put nonsense into nursery rhymes. The other is to put nonsense in the wrong place; as when they put it into educational addresses, psychological criticisms, and complaints against nursery rhymes or other normal amusements of mankind.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Educational Quotes , Two Quotes

Very few reputations are gained by unsullied virtue.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Reputation Quotes

Man does not live by soap alone; and hygiene, or even health, is not much good unless you can take a healthy view of it or, better still, feel a healthy indifference to it.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Health Quotes , Men Quotes

A man can never quite understand a boy, even when he has been a boy.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Boys Quotes , Men Quotes

As for the general view that the Church was discredited by the War—they might as well say that the Ark was discredited by the Flood. When the world goes wrong, it proves rather that the Church is right. The Church is justified, not because her children do not sin, but because they do.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Children Quotes , War Quotes

of being strong and brave. The strong can not be brave. Only the weak can be brave; and yet again, in practice, only those who can be brave can be trusted, in time of doubt, to be strong.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Inspirational Quotes , Strong Quotes

Truth must necessarily be stranger than fiction, for fiction is the creation of the human mind and therefore congenial to it.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Truth Quotes , Mind Quotes

It is much easier to write a good Times leading article than a good joke in Punch.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Writing Quotes , Good Times Quotes

Pride juggles with her toppling towers, They strike the sun and cease, But the firm feet of humility They grip the ground like trees.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Humility Quotes , Pride Quotes

It is because artists do not practise, patrons do not patronize, crowds do not assemble to reverently worship the great work of Doing Nothing, that the world has lost its philosophy and even failed to invent a new religion.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Philosophy Quotes , Artist Quotes