Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes

"The Universe repeats itself, with the possible exception of history." Of all earthly studies history is the only one that does not repeat itself. ... Astronomy repeats itself; botany repeats itself; trigonometry repeats itself; mechanics repeats itself; compound long division repeats itself. Every sum if worked out in the same way at any time will bring out the same answer. ... A great many moderns say that history is a science; if so it occupies a solitary and splendid elevation among the sciences; it is the only science the conclusions of which are always wrong.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Science Quotes , Long Quotes

Obviously if any actions, even a lunatic's, can be causeless, determinism is done for. If the chain of causation can be broken for a madman, it can be broken for a man.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

The Universe is the most extraordinary masterpiece ever constructed by nobody.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Atheism Quotes , Masterpiece Quotes

In truth, there are only two kinds of people; those who accept dogma and know it, and those who accept dogma and don't know it.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

The modern world is a crowd of very rapid racing cars all brought to a standstill and stuck in a block of traffic.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Block Quotes , Car Quotes

What life and death may be to a turkey is not my business; but the soul of Scrooge and the body of Cratchit are my business.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Christmas Quotes , Business Quotes

Oh, most unhappy man,' he cried, 'try to be happy! You have red hair like your sister.' My red hair, like red flames, shall burn up the world,' said Gregory.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Honour is a luxury for aristocrats, but it is a necessity for hall-porters.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Luxury Quotes , Honor Quotes

I do not believe that any human being is fundamentally happier for being finally lost in a crowd, even if it is called a crowd of comrades.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Believe Quotes , Crowds Quotes

Anyone who is not an anarchist agrees with having a policeman at the corner of the street; but the danger at present is that of finding the policeman half-way down the chimney or even under the bed.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Bed Quotes , Half Quotes

A man must be orthodox upon most things, or he will never even have time to preach his own heresy.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Christianity even when watered down is hot enough to boil all modern society to rags.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Rags Quotes , Hot Quotes

The diseased pride [of artistic individualists] was not even conscious of a public interest, and would have found all political terms utterly tasteless and insignificant. It was no longer a question of one man one vote, but of one man one universe.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

It's not that we don't have enough scoundrels to curse; it's that we don't have enough good men to curse them.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Materialists and madmen never have doubts.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Doubt Quotes , Madmen Quotes

You!" he cried. "You never hated because you never lived. I know what you are all of you, from first to last--you are the people in power! You are the police--the great, fat smiling men in blue and buttons! You are the Law, and you have never been broken. But is there a free soul alive that does not long to break you, only because you have never been broken?

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

The best way that a man could test his readiness to encounter the common variety of mankind would be to climb down a chimney into any house at random, and get on as well as possible with the people inside. And that is essentially what each one of us did on the day that he was born.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

A beetle may or may not be inferior to a man - the matter awaits demonstration; but if he were inferior by ten thousand fathoms, the fact remains that there is probably a beetle view of things of which a man is entirely ignorant. If he wishes to conceive that point of view, he will scarcely reach it by persistently revelling in the fact that he is not a beetle.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

The human race is always trying this dodge of making everything entirely easy; but the difficulty which it shifts off one thing it shifts to another.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Race Quotes , Always Trying Quotes