The dog which remembers only to bark and not to bite, and is led through the streets as a lady's pet, is only a degenerate wolf. Lin Yutang More Quotes by Lin Yutang More Quotes From Lin Yutang It is not so much what you believe in that matters, as the way in which you believe it and proceed to translate that belief into action. Lin Yutang believe way religion The more we justify our beliefs, the more narrow-minded we become. Lin Yutang narrow-minded justify belief The age calls for simple statements and restatements of simple truths. The prophets of doom are involved, those who would bring light must be clear. Lin Yutang light simple age The only test of a soul's salvation is its inward happiness. Lin Yutang inner-peace inward soul Business men who are busy the whole day and immediately go to bed after supper, snoring like cows, are not likely to contribute anything to culture. Lin Yutang bed men culture There is no proper time and place for reading. When the mood for reading comes, one can read anywhere Lin Yutang proper-time mood reading It is not dirt but the fear of dirt which is the sign of man's degeneration, and it is dangerous to judge a man's physical and moral sanity by outside standards. Lin Yutang dirt judging men Only friendship which can stand occasional plain speaking is worth having. Lin Yutang plain-speaking occasional friendship There are no books in this world that everybody must read, but only books that a person must read at a certain time in a given place under given circumstances and at a given period of his life. Lin Yutang given book world The wise man reads both books and life itself. Lin Yutang reading wise book This I conceive to be the chemical function of humor: to change the character of our thought. Lin Yutang humor change character I rather despise claims to objectivity in philosophy; the point of view is the thing. Lin Yutang objectivity views philosophy Why should man bother himself so much about salvation, unless he has a feeling of being doomed? Lin Yutang salvation feelings men However vague they are, dreams have a way of concealing themselves and leave us no peace until they are translated into reality, like seeds germinating underground, sure to sprout in their search for the sunlight. Lin Yutang dream reality way Nothing matters to a man who says nothing matters. Lin Yutang nothing-matters matter men To glorify the past and paint the future is easy, to survey the present and emerge with some light and understanding is difficult. Lin Yutang understanding light past My faith in human dignity consists in the belief that man is the greatest scamp on earth. Human dignity must be associated with the idea of a scamp and not with that of an obedient, disciplined and regimented soldier. Lin Yutang soldier men ideas How many of us are able to distinguish between the odors of noon and midnight, or of winter and summer, or of a windy spell and a still one? If man is so generally less happy in the cities than in the country, it is because all these variations and nuances of sight and smell and sound are less clearly marked and lost in the general monotony of gray walls and cement pavements. Lin Yutang wall summer country The question that faces every man born into this world is not what should be his purpose, which he should set about to achieve, but just what to do with life? The answer, that he should order his life so that he can find the greatest happiness in it, is more a practical question, similar to that of how a man should spend his weekend, then a metaphysical proposition as to what is the mystic purpose of his life in the scheme of the universe. Lin Yutang weekend men order Neckties strangle clear thinking. Lin Yutang neckties management thinking
