A function to each organ, and each organ to its own function, is the law of all organization. Herbert Spencer More Quotes by Herbert Spencer More Quotes From Herbert Spencer Strong as it looks at the outset, State-agency perpetually disappoints every one. Puny as are its first stages, private efforts daily achieve results that astound the world. Herbert Spencer agency effort strong Marriage: a ceremony in which rings are put on the finger of the lady and through the nose of the gentleman. Herbert Spencer marriage gentleman noses A jury is composed of twelve men of average ignorance. Herbert Spencer ignorance average men To have a specific style is to be poor in speech. Herbert Spencer style speech writing The cruelty of a Fijian god, who, represented as devouring the souls of the dead, may be supposed to inflict torture during the process, is small compared with the cruelty of a God who condemns men to tortures which are eternal. Herbert Spencer atheism soul men There can be little question that good composition is far less dependent upon acquaintance with its laws, than upon practice and natural aptitude. A clear head, a quick imagination, and a sensitive ear, will go far towards making all rhetorical precepts needless. Herbert Spencer clear-head practice law Government is essentially immoral. The State employs evil weapons to subjugate evil, and is alike contaminated by the objects with which it deals, and the means by which it works. Herbert Spencer government evil mean How truly language must be regarded as a hindrance to thought, though the necessary instrument of it, we shall clearly perceive on remembering the comparative force with which simple ideas are communicated by signs. To say, "Leave the room," is less expressive than to point to the door. Place a finger on the lips is more forcible than whispering, "Do not speak." A beck of the hand is better than, "Come here." No phrase can convey the idea of surprise so vividly as opening the eyes and raising the eyebrows. A shrug of the shoulders would lose much by translation into words. Herbert Spencer eye simple doors Liberty is not the right of one, but of all. Herbert Spencer liberty Surely in much talk there cannot choose but be much vanity. Loquacity is the fistula of the mind,--ever-running and almost incurable, let every man, therefore, be a Phocion or Pythagorean, to speak briefly to the point or not at all; let him labor like them of Crete, to show more wit in his discourse than words, and not to pour out of his mouth a flood of the one, when he can hardly wring out of his brains a drop of the other. Herbert Spencer vanity running men In societies of low civilization, there is no money. Herbert Spencer no-money lows civilization Without painting, sculpture, music, poetry, and the emotions produced by natural beauty of every kind, life would lose half its charm. Herbert Spencer sculpture half beauty The tyrant is nothing but a slave turned inside out. Herbert Spencer tyrants slave perspective Of all the knowledge, that most worth having is knowledge about health! The first requisite of a good life is to be a healthy person. Herbert Spencer good-life healthy firsts Volumes might be written upon the impiety of the pious. Herbert Spencer written volume might The present relationship existing between husband and wife, where one claims a command over the actions of the other, is nothing more than a remnant of the old leaven of slavery. It is necessarily destructive of refined love; for how can a man continue to regard as his type of the ideal a being whom he has, be denying an equality of privilege with himself, degraded to something below himself? Herbert Spencer marriage husband men The freest form of government is only the least objectionable form. The rule of the many by the few we call tyranny: the rule of the few by the many is tyranny also; only of a less intense kind. Herbert Spencer intense government kind I had a great dislike to the annoyances entailed by baggage; and it was always with some feeling of elation that I cut myself free from everything but what I could carry about me. Like children, portmanteaus and trunks are hostages to fortune. Herbert Spencer cutting feelings children The universal basis of co-operation is the proportioning of benefits received to services rendered. Herbert Spencer operations bases benefits Architecture, sculpture, painting, music, and poetry, may truly be called the efflorescence of civilised life. Herbert Spencer sculpture architecture may
