There is nothing so weak, for working purposes, as this enormous importance attached to immediate victory. There is nothing that fails like success.
As an explanation of the world materialism has a sort of insane simplicity. It has the quality of a madman’s arguments; we have at once the sense of it covering everything and the sense of it leaving everything out.
One can hardly think too little of one’s self. One can hardly think too much of one’s soul.
The historic glory of America lies in the fact that it is the one nation that was founded like a church. That is, it was founded on a faith that was not merely summed up after it had exited, but was defined before it existed.
No man can be merry unless he is serious.
The prophet and the quack are alike admired for a generation, and admired for the wrong reasons.
But since he stood for England And knew what England means, Unless you give him bacon You must not give him beans.
If the world grows to worldly, it can be rebuked by the Church; but if the Church grows to worldly, it cannot be adequately rebuked for worldlyness by the world.
One can sometimes do good by being the right person in the wrong place.
The one stream of poetry which is continually flowing is slang.
A nation that has nothing but its amusements will not be amused for long.
Gratitude, being nearly the greatest of human duties, is also nearly the most difficult.
Stick to the man who looks out of the window and tries to understand the world. Keep clear of the man who looks in at the window and tries to understand you.
English experience indicates that when the two great political parties agree about something it is generally wrong.
It is better to speak wisdom foolishly like the saints than to speak folly wisely like the deans.
I believe in preaching to the converted; for I have generally found that the converted do not understand their own religion.
The reason that angels fly is that they take themselves so lightly.
Physical science is like simple addition: it is either infallible or it is false.
If the apple hit Newton’s nose, Newton’s nose hit the apple.
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.