K. Chesterton
K. Chesterton
uncles men perfect
Men always talk about the most important things to perfect strangers. In the perfect stranger we perceive man himself; the image of a God is not disguised by resemblances to an uncle or doubts of wisdom of a mustache.
mother peace war
A man who says that no patriot should attack the war until it is over... is saying no good son should warn his mother of a cliff until she has fallen.
god men animal
Man is an exception, whatever else he is. If he is not the image of God, then he is a disease of the dust. If it is not true that a divine being fell, then we can only say that one of the animals went entirely off its head.
love god believe
Those thinkers who cannot believe in any gods often assert that the love of humanity would be in itself sufficient for them; and so, perhaps, it would, if they had it.
mean half literature
Compromise used to mean that half a loaf was better than no bread. Among modern statesmen it really seems to mean that half a loaf; is better than a whole loaf.
flower men roots
A radical generally meant a man who thought he could somehow pull up the root without affecting the flower. A conservative generally meant a man who wanted to conserve everything except his own reason for conserving anything.
mother country patriotic
'My country, right or wrong' is a thing no patriot would ever think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying 'My mother, drunk or sober.'
change ideas political
All conservatism is based upon the idea that if you leave things alone you leave them as they are. But you do not. If you leave a thing alone you leave it to a torrent of change.
women men literature
Women prefer to talk in twos, while men prefer to talk in threes.
mean people literature
What people call impartiality may simply mean indifference, and what people call partiality may simply mean mental activity.
men cosmos literature
The cosmos is about the smallest hole that a man can hide his head in.
men literature daylight
Nothing is poetical if plain daylight is not poetical; and no monster should amaze us if the normal man does not amaze.
organization literature would-be
Large organization is loose organization. Nay, it would be almost as true to say that organization is always disorganization.
england mets graves
And they that rule in England, in stately conclaves met, alas, alas for England they have no graves as yet.