And an educated mind is nothing but the God-given mind of a child after his parents' and his grandparents' generation have got through molding it. We can't help teaching you; you will ask that of us; but we are prone to teach you what we know, and I am going, now and again, to warn you:

Lincoln Steffens

Categorized in : Children Baby Teaching

In all cities, the better classes - the business men - are the sources of corruption, but they are so rarely pursued and caught that we do not fully realize whence the trouble comes.

Lincoln Steffens

cities class men

Nothing is done. Everything in the world remains to be done or done over. The greatest picture is not yet painted, the greatest play isn't written, the greatest poem is unsung. There isn't in all the world a perfect railroad, nor a good government, nor a sound law. Physics, mathematics, and especially the most advanced and exact of the sciences are being fundamentally revised. . . Psychology, economics, and sociology are awaiting a Darwin, whose work in turn is awaiting an Einstein.

Lincoln Steffens

creativity law play

The misgovernment of the American people is misgovernment by the American people.

Lincoln Steffens

people

Keep your baby eyes (which are the eyes of genius) on what we don't know

Lincoln Steffens

genius eye baby

Power is what men seek, and any group that gets it will abuse it. It is the same story.

Lincoln Steffens

abuse groups men

You ask men in office to be honest; I ask them to serve the public.

Lincoln Steffens

honest office men

Morality is only moral when it is voluntary.

Lincoln Steffens

ethics morality atheism

The only thing worth having in an earthly existence is a sense of humor.

Lincoln Steffens

sense-of-humor existence

I have seen the future, and it works.

Lincoln Steffens

Why is it that the less intelligence people have, the more spiritual they are? They seem to fill all the vacant, ignorant spaces in their heads with soul. Which explains how it is that the less knowledge they have, the more religion.

Lincoln Steffens

space spiritual people

If we would leave parties to the politicians, and would vote not for the party, not even for men, but for the city, and the State, and the nation, we should rule parties, and cities, and States, and nation.

Lincoln Steffens

party cities men

The spirit of graft and of lawlessness is the American spirit.

Lincoln Steffens

american-spirit lawlessness spirit

Care like hell! Sit around the bars and drink, and pose, and pretend, all you want to, but in reality, deep down underneath, care like hell.

Lincoln Steffens

bars care reality

Nothing is done. Everything in the world remains to be done or done over.

Lincoln Steffens

growth done world

It is privilege that causes evil in the world, not wickedness, and not men.

Lincoln Steffens

wickedness evil men

Whenever anything extraordinary is done in American municipal politics, whether for good or for evil, you can trace it almost invariably to one man. The people do not do it. Neither do the 'gangs,' 'combines,' or political parties.

Lincoln Steffens

party men people

If we would vote in mass on the more promising ticket, or, if the two are equally bad, would throw out the party that is in, and wait till the next election and then throw out the other party that is in - then, I say, the commercial politician would feel a demand for good government and he would supply it.

Lincoln Steffens

party government two

Art is like a border of flowers along the course of civilization.

Lincoln Steffens

flower civilization art

Revolt is not reform, and one revolutionary administration is not good government.

Lincoln Steffens

administration reform government

We know that there is no absolute knowledge, that there are only theories; but we forget this. The better educated we are, the harder we believe in axioms.

Lincoln Steffens

atheism forget believe