Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes

They said that I should lose my ideals and begin to believe in the methods of practical politicians. Now, I have not lost my ideals in the least; my faith in fundamentals is exactly what it always was. What I have lost is my childlike faith in practical politics.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Aesthetes never do anything but what they are told.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes

We talk of wild animals, but the wildest animal is man.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Indeed the Book of Job avowedly only answers mystery with mystery. Job is comforted with riddles; but he is comforted. Herein is indeed a type, in the sense of a prophecy, of things speaking with authority. For when he who doubts can only say, ‘I do not understand,’ it is true that he who knows can only reply or repeat ‘You do not understand.’ And under that rebuke there is always a sudden hope in the heart; and the sense of something that would be worth understanding.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

But pure wit is akin to Puritanism; to the perfect and painful consciousness of the final fact in the universe. Very briefly, the man who sees the consistency in things is a wit - and a Calvinist. The man who sees the inconsistency in things is a humorist - and a Catholic.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

There again," said Syme irritably, "what is there poetical about being in revolt? You might as well say that it is poetical to be sea-sick. Being sick is a revolt. Both being sick and being rebellious may be the wholesome thing on certain desperate occasions; but I'm hanged if I can see why they are poetical...It is things going right," he cried, "that is poetical! Our digestions, for instance, going sacredly and silently right, that is the foundation of all poetry...the most poetical thing in the world is not being sick.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

In the main, and from the beginning of time, mysticism has kept men sane. The thing that has driven them mad was logic.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

Every one on this earth should believe, amid whatever madness or moral failure, that his life and temperament have some object on the earth. Every one on the earth should believe that he has something to give to the world which cannot otherwise be given.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

I would give a woman not more rights, but more privileges. Instead of sending her to seek such freedom as notoriously prevails in banks and factories, I would design specially a house in which she can be free.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Rights Quotes , Giving Quotes

The sort of man who admires Italian art while despising Italian religion is a tourist and a cad.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

The present condition of fame is merely fashion.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Fashion Quotes , Literature 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 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

The modern world is filled with men who hold dogmas so strongly that they do not even know they are dogmas.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

The people has no definite disbelief in the temples of theology. The people has a very fiery and practical disbelief in the temples of physical science.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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

When we really worship anything, we love not only its clearness but its obscurity. We exult in its very invisibility.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Obscurity Quotes , Literature Quotes

Who would condescend to strike down the mere things that he does not fear? Who would debase himself to be merely brave, like any common prizefighter? Who would stoop to be fearless--like a tree? Fight the thing that you fear. You remember the old tale of the English clergyman who gave the last rites to the brigand of Sicily, and how on his death-bed the great robber said, 'I can give you no money, but I can give you advice for a lifetime: your thumb on the blade, and strike upwards.' So I say to you, strike upwards, if you strike at the stars.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes , Stars Quotes , Fighting 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

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 full value of this life can only be got by fighting; the violent take it by storm. And if we have accepted everything we have missed something - war. This life of ours is a very enjoyable fight, but a very miserable truce.

5 years ago

Message Copied

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