The most difficult problem in personal knowledge, whether of oneself or of others, is the problem of guessing when to think as a historian and when to think as an anthropologist. W. H. Auden More Quotes by W. H. Auden More Quotes From W. H. Auden Civilizations should be measured by the degree of diversity attained and the degree of unity retained. W. H. Auden diversity respect civilization I will love you forever" swears the poet. I find this easy to swear too. "I will love you at 4:15 pm next Tuesday" - Is that still as easy? W. H. Auden pms love-you tuesday We would rather be ruined than changed. We would rather die in our dread than climb the cross of the moment and let our illusions die. W. H. Auden growth change religion We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know. W. H. Auden helping-others inspirational funny My deepest feeling about politicians is that they are dangerous lunatics to be avoided when possible and carefully humored; people, above all, to whom one must never tell the truth. W. H. Auden politics feelings people Thousands have lived without love, not one without water. W. H. Auden strength motivational love In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it: they must not do too much of it: and they must have a sense of success in it - not a doubtful sense, such as needs some testimony of others for its confirmation, but a sure sense, or rather knowledge, that so much work has been done well, and fruitfully done, whatever the world may say or think about it. W. H. Auden work success thinking The most important truths are likely to be those which society at that time least wants to hear. W. H. Auden important truth want A vice in common can be the ground of a friendship but not a virtue in common. X and Y may be friends because they are both drunkards or womanizers but, if they are both sober and chaste, they are friends for some other reason. W. H. Auden vices common may All sins tend to be addictive, and the terminal point of addiction is damnation. W. H. Auden damnation addiction sin Good can imagine Evil; but Evil cannot imagine Good. W. H. Auden imagine politics evil Nobody is ever sent to Hell: he or she insists on going there. W. H. Auden hell All that we are not stares back at what we are. W. H. Auden staring mad crazy Learn from your dreams what you lack. W. H. Auden your-dreams dream Young people, who are still uncertain of their identity, often try on a succession of masks in the hope of finding the one which suits them - the one, in fact, which is not a mask. W. H. Auden finding-the-one trying people Attacking bad books is not only a waste of time but also bad for the character. If I find a book really bad, the only interest I can derive from writing about it has to come from myself, from such display of intelligence, wit and malice as I can contrive. One cannot review a bad book without showing off. W. H. Auden writing character book No person can be a great leader unless he takes genuine joy in the successes of those under him. W. H. Auden leadership joy inspirational A small grove massacred to the last ash, W. H. Auden environmental heart giving Money cannot buy the fuel of love but is excellent kindling. W. H. Auden fuel excellent love I'll love you till the ocean Is folded and hung up to dry And the seven stars go squawking Like geese about the sky. W. H. Auden ocean stars love
