A small artist is content with art; a great artist is content with nothing except everything. Gilbert K. Chesterton More Quotes by Gilbert K. Chesterton More Quotes From Gilbert K. Chesterton All true friendliness begins with fire and food and drink and the recognition of rain or frost. Gilbert K. Chesterton true-friendfirerain Whatever else we may say of our own age, for good or evil, nobody is likely to call it an Age of Reason. Gilbert K. Chesterton ageevilmay Indeed the Book of Job avowedly only answers mystery with mystery. Job is comforted with riddles; but he is comforted. Herein is indeed a type, in the sense of a prophecy, of things speaking with authority. For when he who doubts can only say, ‘I do not understand,’ it is true that he who knows can only reply or repeat ‘You do not understand.’ And under that rebuke there is always a sudden hope in the heart; and the sense of something that would be worth understanding. Gilbert K. Chesterton heartjobsbook The obvious effect of frivolous divorce will be frivolous marriage. If people can be separated for no reason they will feel it all the easier to be united for no reason. Gilbert K. Chesterton divorcereasonpeople Psychoanalysis is a science conducted by lunatics for lunatics. They are generally concerned with proving that people are irresponsible; and they certainly succeed in proving that some people are Gilbert K. Chesterton succeedprovepeople Mr. McCabe thinks that I am not serious but only funny, because Mr. McCabe thinks that funny is the opposite of serious. Funny is the opposite of not funny and nothing else. Gilbert K. Chesterton seriousoppositesthinking The danger of loss of faith in God is not that one will believe in nothing, but rather that one will believe in anything. Gilbert K. Chesterton politicallossbelieve If a man only likes victory he must always come late for the battle. Gilbert K. Chesterton victorybattlemen Now there is any amount of this nonsense cropping up among American cranks. Anybody may propose to establish coercive Eugenics; or enforce psychoanalysis that is, enforce confession without absolution. Gilbert K. Chesterton nonsenseeugenicsmay Why should ANYTHING go right; even observation and deduction? Why should not good logic be as misleading as bad logic? They are both movements in the brain of a bewildered ape? Gilbert K. Chesterton anything-goesmovementbrain Wit is a sword; it is meant to make people feel the point as well as see it. Gilbert K. Chesterton witwellspeople The scientific facts, which were supposed to contradict the faith in the nineteenth century, are nearly all of them regarded as unscientific fictions in the twentieth century. Gilbert K. Chesterton centuryfactsfiction One must somehow find a way of loving the world without trusting it; somehow one must love the world without being worldly. Gilbert K. Chesterton lovewayworld What life and death may be to a turkey is not my business; but the soul of Scrooge and the body of Cratchit are my business. Gilbert K. Chesterton turkeyschristmasbusiness The more we are proud that the Bethlehem story is plain enough to be understood by the shepherds, and almost by the sheep, the more do we let ourselves go, in dark and gorgeous imaginative frescoes or pageants about the mystery and majesty of the Three Magian Kings. Gilbert K. Chesterton christmaskingsdark The great majority of people will go on observing forms that cannot be explained; they will keep Christmas Day with Christmas gifts and Christmas benedictions; they will continue to do it; and some day suddenly wake up and discover why. Gilbert K. Chesterton wake-upchristmaspeople It's not that we don't have enough scoundrels to curse; it's that we don't have enough good men to curse them. Gilbert K. Chesterton good-mancatholicmen The whole truth is generally the ally of virtue; a half-truth is always the ally of some vice. Gilbert K. Chesterton catholicviceshalf Truth is sacred; and if you tell the truth too often nobody will believe it. Gilbert K. Chesterton sacredmoralitybelieve All men thirst to confess their crimes more than tired beasts thirst for water; but they naturally object to confessing them while other people, who have also committed the same crimes, sit by and laugh at them. Gilbert K. Chesterton tiredwatermen
