It is only by labour that thought can be made healthy, and only by thought that labour can be made happy, and the two cannot be separated with impunity. John Ruskin More Quotes by John Ruskin More Quotes From John Ruskin Whenever you see want or misery or degradation in this world about you, then be sure either industry has been wanting, or industry has been in error. John Ruskin degradation errors want God will put up with a great many things in the human heart, but there is one thing that He will not put up with in it--a second place. He who offers God a second place, offers Him no place. John Ruskin great-men gods-will heart The history of humanity is not the history of its wars, but the history of its households. John Ruskin humanity war history Great art is precisely that which never was, nor will be taught, it is preeminently and finally the expression of the spirits of great men. John Ruskin expression men art All really great pictures exhibit the general habits of nature, manifested in some peculiar, rare, and beautiful way. John Ruskin peculiar beautiful way The Divine mind is as visible in its full energy of operation on every lowly bank and mouldering stone as in the lifting of the pillars of heaven, and settling the foundation of the earth. John Ruskin omnipotence mind heaven Obedience is, indeed, founded on a kind of freedom, else it would become mere subjugation, but that freedom is only granted that obedience may be more perfect; and thus while a measure of license is necessary to exhibit the individual energies of things, the fairness and pleasantness and perfection of them all consist in their restraint. John Ruskin energy perfect may In old times men used their powers of painting to show the objects of faith, in later times they use the objects of faith to show their powers of painting. John Ruskin power use men The enormous influence of novelty--the way in which it quickens observations, sharpens sensations, and exalts sentiment--is not half enough taken note of by us, and is to me a very sorrowful matter. And yet, if we try to obtain perpetual change, change itself will become monotonous. John Ruskin taken matter trying ... the weakest among us has a gift, however seemingly trivial, which is peculiar to him, and which, worthily used, will be a gift also to his race forever. John Ruskin peculiar race forever God alone can finish. John Ruskin God never imposes a duty without giving time to do it. John Ruskin giving-time duty giving To follow art for the sake of being a great man, and therefore to cast about continually for some means of achieving position or attracting admiration, is the surest way of ending in total extinction. John Ruskin men mean art We must note carefully what distinction there is between a healthy and a diseased love of change; for as it was in healthy love of change that the Gothic architecture rose, it was partly in consequence of diseased love of change that it was destroyed. John Ruskin gothic healthy rose It is, indeed, right that we should look for, and hasten, so far as in us lies, the coming of the day of God; but not that we should check any human effort by anticipations of its approach. We shall hasten it best by endeavoring to work out the tasks that are appointed for us here; and, therefore, reasoning as if the world were to continue under its existing dispensation, and the powers which have just been granted to us were to be continued through myriads of future ages. John Ruskin effort work-out lying It is strange that of all the pieces of the Bible which my mother taught me, that which cost me the most to learn, and which was to my childish mind the most repulsive - Psalm 119 - has now become of all the most precious to me in its overflowing and glorious passion of love for the Law of God. John Ruskin passion law mother We were not sent into this world to do anything into which we cannot put our hearts. John Ruskin purpose heart world In order that a man may be happy, it is necessary that he should not only be capable of his work, but a good judge of his work. John Ruskin work men order Men are more evanescent than pictures, yet one sorrows for lost friends, and pictures are my friends. I have none others. I am never long enough with men to attach myself to them; and whatever feelings of attachment I have are to material things. John Ruskin friendship men long Beethoven always sounds to me like the upsetting of a bag of nails, with here and there an also dropped hammer. John Ruskin sarcasm music sarcastic
