K. Chesterton
K. Chesterton
doors seriousness handle
humor can get in under the door while seriousness is still fumbling at the handle
book reading hero
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.
spiritual war men
Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.
block car racing
The modern world is a crowd of very rapid racing cars all brought to a standstill and stuck in a block of traffic.
soul pleasure worthy
We can’t turn life into a pleasure. But we can choose such pleasures as are worthy of us and our immortal souls.
funny believe evil
I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.
christmas gratitude children
When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?
cities parks committees
I've been to every park in every city and not seen a statue to a committee.
men evil champion
Unless a man becomes the enemy of an evil, he will not even become its slave but rather its champion.
men space being-there
It is only great men who take up a great space by not being there.
plato
Plato was right, but not quite right.
simple light mind
The academic mind reflects infinity, and is full of light by the simple process of being shallow and standing still.
mean criticism boots
Either criticism is no good at all (a very defensible position) or else criticism means saying about an author the very things that would have made him jump out of his boots.
fighting past asceticism
Catholicism is not ritualism; it may in the future be fighting some sort of superstitious and idolatrous exaggeration of ritual. Catholicism is not asceticism; it has again and again in the past repressed fanatical and cruel exaggerations of asceticism. Catholicism is not mere mysticism; it is even now defending human reason against the mere mysticism of the Pragmatists.