If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. Bertrand Russell More Quotes by Bertrand Russell More Quotes From Bertrand Russell Contempt for happiness is usually contempt for other people's happiness, and is an elegant disguise for hatred of the human race. Bertrand Russell race happiness people Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear. Bertrand Russell fear men thinking Italy, and the spring and first love all together should suffice to make the gloomiest person happy. Bertrand Russell spring happy happiness I remain convinced that obstinate addiction to ordinary language in our private thoughts is one of the main obstacles to progress in philosophy. Bertrand Russell progress addiction philosophy Freedom in general may be defined as the absence of obstacles to the realization of desires. Bertrand Russell freedom fear desire To acquire immunity to eloquence is of the utmost importance to the citizens of a democracy. Bertrand Russell importance democracy citizens Reason is a harmonising, controlling force rather than a creative one. Bertrand Russell creativity creative ideas A process which led from the amoeba to man appeared to the philosophers to be obviously a progress though whether the amoeba would agree with this opinion is not known. Bertrand Russell progress men science The examination system, and the fact that instruction is treated mainly as a training for a livelihood, leads the young to regard knowledge from a purely utilitarian point of view as the road to money, not as the gateway to wisdom. Bertrand Russell views science knowledge The scientific attitude of mind involves a sweeping away of all other desires in the interest of the desire to know. Bertrand Russell attitude science knowledge If you had the power to destroy the world, would you do so? Bertrand Russell ifs world The more we realize our minuteness and our impotence in the face of cosmic forces, the more amazing becomes what human beings have achieved. Bertrand Russell realizing achievement faces Civilized people cannot fully satisfy their sexual instinct without love. Bertrand Russell instinct sex people It is only through imagination that men become aware of what the world might be; without it, ‘progress’ would become mechanical and trivial. Bertrand Russell progress imagination men Many a man will have the courage to die gallantly, but will not have the courage to say, or even to think, that the cause for which he is asked to die is an unworthy one. Bertrand Russell courage men thinking The happy life is to an extraordinary extent the same as the good life. Bertrand Russell good-life life-is happy-life We know too much and feel too little. Bertrand Russell too-much emotion littles Mysticism is, in essence, little more than a certain intensity and depth of feeling in regard to what is believed about the universe. Bertrand Russell depth essence feelings A great many worries can be diminished by realizing the unimportance of the matter which is causing anxiety. Bertrand Russell anxiety matter worry If we spent half an hour every day in silent immobility, I am convinced that we should conduct all our affairs, personal, national, and international, far more sanely than we do at present. Bertrand Russell affair meditation half
