History is so indifferently rich, that a case for almost any conclusion from it can be made by a selection of instances. Will Durant More Quotes by Will Durant More Quotes From Will Durant If we have never been amazed by the very fact that we exist, we are squandering the greatest fact of all. Will Durant squanderingamazedfacts The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds. Will Durant honestyfearintegrity Tired mothers find that spanking takes less time than reasoning and penetrates sooner to the seat of the memory. Will Durant tiredmothermemories Men decided that it was better to pay taxes than to fight among themselves; better to pay tribute to one magnificent robber than to bribe them all. Will Durant societyfightingmen It may be true that you can't fool all the people all the time, but you can fool enough of them to rule a large country. Will Durant timecountrypeople To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy. Will Durant communicationhalfart Man is an emotional animal, occasionally rational; and through his feelings he can be deceived to his heart's content. Will Durant heartanimalmen In progressive societies the concentration[of wealth] may reach a point where the strength of number in the many poor rivals the strength of ability in the few rich; then the unstable equilibrium generates a critical situation, which history has diversely met by legislation redistributing wealth or by revolution distributing poverty. Will Durant concentration-of-wealthprogressive-societynumbers The political machine triumphs because it is a united minority acting against a divided majority. Will Durant triumphpoliticalacting The health of nations is more important than the wealth of nations. Will Durant healthimportantexercise Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give us wisdom. Will Durant givingphilosophy Civilizations come and go; they conquer the earth and crumble into dust; but faith survives every desolation. Will Durant dustearthcivilization Philosophy begins when one learns to doubt -- particularly to doubt one's cherished beliefs, one's dogmas and one's axioms. Will Durant beliefdoubtphilosophy Knowledge is power but only wisdom is liberty. Will Durant understandingwisdomknowledge Liberty is a product of order. Will Durant libertyproductsorder The greatest question of our time is not communism vs. individualism, not Europe vs. America, not even the East vs. the West; it is whether men can bear to live without God. Will Durant europemenamerica Cultivate your garden Do not depend upon teachers to educate you follow your own bent, pursue your curiosity bravely, express yourself, make your own harmony In the end, education, like happiness, is individual, and must come to us from life and from ourselves. There is no way; each pilgrim must make his own path. "Happiness," said Chamfort, "is not easily won; it is hard to find it in ourselves, and impossible to find it elsewhere. Will Durant gardenjoyteacher Perhaps it is one secret of their power that, having studied the fluctuations of prices, the [bankers] know that history is inflationary. Will Durant fluctuationsecretbankers Education is the transmission of civilization. Will Durant teachingeducationteacher In the last analysis civilization is based upon the food supply. Will Durant analysislastscivilization
