All nationalistic distinctions - all claims to be better than somebody else because you have a different-shaped skull or speak a different dialect - are entirely spurious, but they are important so long as people believe in them. George Orwell More Quotes by George Orwell More Quotes From George Orwell Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket. George Orwell buckets marketing wisdom If one looks closely one sees that there is no essential difference between a beggar's livelihood and that of numberless respectable people. Beggars do not work, it is said; but then, what is work? A navvy works by swinging a pick. An accountant works by adding up figures. A beggar works by standing out of doors in all weathers and getting varicose veins, chronic bronchitis, etc. It is a trade like any other; quite useless, of course - but then, many reputable trades are quite useless. George Orwell differences doors weather Lastly, tea--unless one is drinking it in the Russian style--should be drunk WITHOUT SUGAR. I know very well that I am in a minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tea-lover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper or salt. Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water. George Orwell drunk drinking beer A family with the wrong members in control; that, perhaps, is as near as one can come to describing England in a phrase. George Orwell phrases family insulting Four legs good, two legs bad. George Orwell legs animal two Never use a long word where a short one will do. George Orwell simile use long The pleasures of spring are available to everybody and cost nothing. George Orwell pleasure cost spring ...the object of waging a war is always to be in a better position in which to wage another war. George Orwell nineteen position war A man who gives a good account of himself is probably lying, since any life when viewed from the inside is simply a series of defeats. George Orwell giving men lying We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness. George Orwell 1984-important nineteen darkness For a creative writer possession of the 'truth' is less important than emotional sincerity. George Orwell heart writing love The fact is that every war suffers a kind of progressive degradation with every month that it continues, because such things as individual liberty and a truthful press are simply not compatible with military efficiency. George Orwell military suffering war Not to expose your true feelings to an adult seems to be instinctive from the age of seven or eight onwards. George Orwell eight trust birthday The object of power is power. George Orwell objects power Big Brother is watching you. George Orwell bigs government brother In the end I worked out an anarchistic theory that all government is evil, that the punishment always does more harm than the crime and that people can be trusted to behave decently if only you will let them alone. George Orwell punishment government people For the ordinary man is passive. Within a narrow circle (home life, and perhaps the trade unions or local politics) he feels himself master of his fate, but against major events he is as helpless as against the elements. So far from endeavoring to influence the future, he simply lies down and lets things happen to him. George Orwell fate home lying The ruling power is always faced with the question, ‘In such and such circumstances, what would you do?’, whereas the opposition is not obliged to take responsibility or make any real decisions. George Orwell decision real responsibility To an ordinary human being, love means nothing if it does not mean loving some people more than others. George Orwell heart love mean But what is work and what is not work? Is it work to dig, to carpenter, to plant trees, to fell trees, to ride, to fish, to hunt, to feed chickens, to play the piano, to take photographs, to build a house, to cook, to sew, to trim hats, to mend motor bicycles? All of these things are work to somebody, and all of them are play to somebody. There are in fact very few activities which cannot be classed either as work or play according as you choose to regard them. George Orwell play work happiness
