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Gilbert K. Chesterton

73 quotes

G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) was an English writer, philosopher, and literary critic known for his prolific output, quick wit, and paradoxical style of argument. The creator of the beloved Father Brown detective stories, Chesterton wrote on theology, philosophy, and social issues with a joyful exuberance that earned him the nickname "the prince of paradox."

“Fable is more historical than fact, because fact tells us about one man and fable tells us about a million men.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Men

All Quotes by Gilbert K. Chesterton

“We are justified in enforcing good morals, for they belong to all mankind but we are not justified in enforcing good manners, for good manners always mean our own manners.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Good

“Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Art

“Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Politics

“Science in the modern world has many uses its chief use, however, is to provide long words to cover the errors of the rich.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Science

“Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Music

“There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Architecture

“The man who throws a bomb is an artist, because he prefers a great moment to everything.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Great

“Youth is the period in which a man can be hopeless. The end of every episode is the end of the world. But the power of hoping through everything, the knowledge that the soul survives its adventures, that great inspiration comes to the middle-aged.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Great

“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.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Alone

“Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Respect

“In matters of truth the fact that you don't want to publish something is, nine times out of ten, a proof that you ought to publish it.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Truth

“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.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

God

“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.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

God

“Art consists of limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Art

“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Art

“Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Love

“Brave men are all vertebrates they have their softness on the surface and their toughness in the middle.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Men

“All architecture is great architecture after sunset perhaps architecture is really a nocturnal art, like the art of fireworks.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Architecture

“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.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

War

“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.”

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Courage