Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes

I have investigated the dust-heaps of humanity, and found a treasure in all of them. I have found that humanity is not incidentally engaged, but eternally and systematically engaged, in throwing gold into the gutter and diamonds into the sea.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Dust Quotes , Sea Quotes

Criticism is only words about words, and of what use are words about such words as these?

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Criticism Quotes

There is no such thing as education. The thing is merely a loose phrase for the passing on to others of whatever truth or virtue we happen to have ourselves. It is typical of our time that the more doubtful we are about the value of philosophy, the more certain we are about the value of education. That is to say, the more doubtful we are about whether we have any truth, the more certain we are (apparently) that we can teach it to our children.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

This is, first and last, the real value of Christmas; in so far as the mythology remains at all it is a kind of happy mythology. Personally, of course, I believe in Santa Claus; but it is the season of forgiveness, and I will forgive others for not doing so.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

All things are from God; and above all, reason and imagination and the great gifts of the mind. They are good in themselves; and we must not altogether forget their origin even in their perversion.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

What affects men sharply about a foreign nation is not so much finding or not finding familiar things; it is rather not finding them in the familiar place.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

We are talking about an artist; and for the enjoyment of the artist the mask must be to some extent moulded on the face. What he makes outside him must correspond to something inside him; he can only make his effects out of some of the materials of his soul.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Art Quotes , Soul Quotes

Wit is a sword; it is meant to make people feel the point as well as see it.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

A good Moslem king was one who was strict in religion, valiant in battle, just in giving judgment among his people, but not one who had the slightest objection in international matters to removing his neighbour's landmark.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

The true savage is a slave, and is always talking about what he must do; the true civilised man is a free man, and is always talking about what he may do.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Every great literature has always been allegorical - allegorical of some view of the whole universe. The 'Iliad' is only great because all life is a battle, the 'Odyssey' because all life is a journey, the Book of Job because all life is a riddle.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Jobs Quotes , Book Quotes

To be simple is the best thing in the world.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Simple Quotes , Sweat Quotes

There are no new ideas about female education.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Ideas Quotes , Annoying Quotes

I say that a man must be certain of his morality for the simple reason that he has to suffer for it.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Women have a thirst for order and beauty as for something physical; there is a strange female power of hating ugliness and waste as good men can only hate sin and bad men virtue.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Not only is suicide a sin, it is the sin. It is the ultimate and absolute evil, the refusal to take an interest in existence; the refusal to take the oath of loyalty to life. The man who kills a man, kills a man. The man who kills himself, kills all men. As far as he is concerned he wipes out the world.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Loyalty Quotes , Suicide Quotes

It is shorter to state the things forbidden than the things permitted; precisely because most things are permitted and only a few things forbidden.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Morality Quotes , States Quotes

It is the beginning of all true criticism of our time to realize that it has really nothing to say, at the very moment when it has invented so tremendous a trumpet for saying it.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Power Quotes , Criticism Quotes

To be wrong, and to be carefully wrong, that is the definition of decadence.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Definitions Quotes

A good man's work is effected by doing what he does, a woman's by being what she is.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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