Gilbert K. Chesterton
Gilbert K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG, better known as G. K. Chesterton, was an English writer, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, lay theologian, biographer, and literary and art critic. Chesterton is often referred to as the "prince of paradox." Time magazine has observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out."...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth29 May 1874
civilization tree alive
A good civilisation spreads over us freely like a tree, varying and yielding because it is alive. A bad civilisation stands up and sticks out above us like an umbrella-artificial, mathematical in shape; not merely universal, but uniform.
thinking civilization supposing-that
We all have a little weakness, which is very natural but rather misleading, for supposing that this epoch must be the end of the world because it will be the end of us. How future generations will get on without us is indeed, when we come to think of it, quite a puzzle. But I suppose they will get on somehow, and may possibly venture to revise our judgments as we have revised earlier judgments.
ideas annoying new-ideas
There are no new ideas.
mother humility giants
Humility is the mother of giants.
failure world trouble
The trouble with Christianity is, not that its failed, but that it's never been tried . . . not that it can't remake the world, but that it's difficult.
telescopes world microscopes
The telescope makes the world smaller; it is only the microscope that makes it larger.
evil nine excuse
Nine times out of ten it is the coarse word that condemns an evil, and the refined word that excuses it.
spiritual sex two
It is the friction of two spiritual things, of tradition and invention, or of substance and symbol, from which the mind takes fire. The creeds condemned as complex have something like the secret of sex; they can breed thoughts.
asking-for-money advertising rich
It is really not so repulsive to see the poor asking for money as to see the rich asking for more money. And advertisement is the rich asking for more money.
blessed expectations
Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall be gloriously surprised.
mean angel turkeys
A turkey is more occult and awful than all the angels and archangels. In so far as God has partly revealed to us an angelic world, he has partly told us what an angel means. But God has never told us what a turkey means. And if you go and stare at a live turkey for an hour or two, you will find by the end of it that the enigma has rather increased than diminished.
simple sweat simplicity
To be simple is the best thing in the world.
simple simplicity world
To be simple is the best thing in the world; to be modest is the next best thing. I am not sure about being quiet.
horse devil four
The Devil's walking parody; On all four-footed things.