Philosophy . . .consists chiefly in suggesting unintelligible answers to insoluble problems.
The difference is slight, to the influence of an author, whether he is read by five hundred readers, or by five hundred thousand; if he can select the five hundred, he reaches the five hundred thousand.
The habit of expression leads to the search for something to express. Something remains as a residuum of the commonplace itself, if one strikes out every commonplace in the expression.
The chief wonder of education is that it does not ruin everybody concerned in it, teachers and taught.
Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed. The imagination must be given not wings but weights.
A new friend is always a miracle, but at thirty-three years old, such a bird of paradise rising in the sage-brush was an avatar. One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible.
A new friend is always a miracle…One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible. Friendship needs a certain parallelism of life, a community of thought, a rivalry of aim.
The study of history is useful to the historian by teaching him his ignorance of women.
He supposed that, except musicians, every one thought Beethoven a bore, as every one except mathematicians thought mathematics a bore.
Washington was no politician as we understand the word,” replied Ratcliffe abruptly. “He stood outside of politics. The thing couldn’t be done today. The people don’t like that sort of royal airs.
The tourist was the great conservative who hated novelty and adored dirt.
No man means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous.
A parent gives life, but as parent, gives no more. A murderer takes life, but his deed stops there. A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
These questions of taste, of feeling, of inheritance, need no settlement. Everyone carries his own inch-rule of taste, and amuses himself by applying it, triumphantly, wherever he travels.
He never labored so hard to learn a language as he did to hold his tongue, and it affected him for life. The habit of reticence — of talking without meaning — is never effaced.
Nothing in education is so astonishing as the amount of ignorance it accumulates in the form of inert facts.
Friendship needs a certain parallelism of life a community of thought a rivalry of aim.
Accident counts for much in companionship as in marriage.
Friendship needs a certain parallelism of life a community of thought a rivalry of aim.
The Indian Summer of life should be a little sunny and a little sad like the season and infinite in wealth and depth of tone – but never hustled.
Politics as a practice whatever its professions has always been the systematic organization of hatreds.
Everyone carries his own inch-rule of taste and amuses himself by applying it triumphantly wherever he travels.
A teacher affects eternity he can never tell where his influence stops.
No one means all he says and yet very few say all they mean.
Chaos was the law of nature Order was the dream of man.
Knowledge of human nature is the beginning and end of political education.
Some day science may have the existence of mankind in power, and the human race can commit suicide by blowing up the world.
Nothing in education is so astonishing as the amount of ignorance it accumulates in the form of inert facts.
A teacher affects eternity he can never tell where his influence stops.
No man likes to have his intelligence or good faith questioned, especially if he has doubts about it himself.
There is no such thing as an underestimate of average intelligence.
It is impossible to underrate human intelligence – beginning with one’s own.
Everyone carries his own inch rule of taste, and amuses himself by applying it, triumphantly, wherever he travels.
He too serves a certain purpose who only stands and cheers.
Politics, as a practise, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds.
Politics… have always been the systematic organization of hatreds.
One friend in a lifetime is much, two are many, three are hardly possible. Friendship needs a certain parallelism of life, a community of thought, a rivalry of aim.
The Indian Summer of life should be a little sunny and a little sad, like the season, and infinite in wealth and depth of tone, but never hustled.
The progress of evolution from President Washington to President Grant was alone evidence to upset Darwin.