The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. George Bernard Shaw More Quotes by George Bernard Shaw More Quotes From George Bernard Shaw A man's interest in the world is only the overflow from his interest in himself. When you are a child your vessel is not yet full;so you care for nothing but your own affairs. When you grow up, your vessel overflows; and you are a politician, a philosopher, or an explorer and adventurer. In old age the vessel dries up: there is no overflow: you are a child again. George Bernard Shaw growing-up men children As 99 per cent of English authors and 100 per cent of American ones [authors] are just such imbeciles, managers and publishers make a practice of asking for every right the author possesses. George Bernard Shaw imbeciles practice asking Stimulate the phagocytes. George Bernard Shaw The thief who is in prison is not necessarily more dishonest than his fellows at large, but mostly one who, through ignorance or stupidity [or racism or poverty! - Draffan] steals in a way that is not customary. He snatches a loaf from the baker's counter and is promptly run into gaol. Another man snatches bread from the table of hundreds of widows and orphans and similar credulous souls who do not know the ways of company promoters; and, as likely as not, he is run into Parliament. George Bernard Shaw ignorance running men Geniuses are horrid, intolerant, easily offended, sleeplessly self-conscious men, who expect their wives to be angels with no further business in life than to pet and worship their husbands. Even at the best they are not comfortable men to live with; and a perfect husband is one who is perfectly comfortable to live with. George Bernard Shaw husband angel men They tell me that So-and-So, who does not write prefaces, is no charlatan. Well, I am. I first caught the ear of the British public on a cart in Hyde Park, to the blaring of brass bands,and this . . . because . . . I am a natural-born mountebank. George Bernard Shaw brass-bands doe writing All roads end at the grave, which is the gate to nothingness. George Bernard Shaw gates graves ends The surest way to ruin a man who doesn't know how to handle money is to give him some. George Bernard Shaw giving men way You can lose a man like that by your own death, but not by his. George Bernard Shaw death-and-dying dying men The conversion of a savage to Christianity is the conversion of Christianity to savagery. George Bernard Shaw conversion savages christianity Ladies and gentlemen are permitted to have friends in the kennel, but not in the kitchen. George Bernard Shaw kitchen gentleman funny We know there is intention and purpose in the universe, because there is intention and purpose in us. George Bernard Shaw intention purpose knows Reformers have the idea that change can be achieved by brute sanity. George Bernard Shaw sanity economics ideas The apparent multiplication of gods is bewildering at the first glance, but you soon discover that they are the same GOD. There is always one uttermost God who defies personification. This makes Hinduism the most tolerant religion in the world, because its one transcendent God includes all possible gods. In fact Hinduism is so elastic and so subtle that the most profound Methodist, and crudest idolater, are equally at home with it. George Bernard Shaw home profound world Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man manages his affairs as well as a tree does. George Bernard Shaw trust sarcastic men There are only two classes in good society in England: the equestrian classes and the neurotic classes. George Bernard Shaw horse class two Be like the sun and meadow, which are not in the least concerned about the coming winter. George Bernard Shaw meadows sun winter Brigham Young lived to become immortal in history as an American Moses by leading his people through the wilderness into an unpromised land. George Bernard Shaw wilderness land people The notion that inspiration is something that happened thousands of years ago, and was then finished and done with. . . the theory that God retired from business at that period and has not been heard from since, is as silly as it is blasphemous. George Bernard Shaw inspiration silly years Vitality is a woman is a blind fury of creation. George Bernard Shaw vitality women blind