There is no greater stupidity or meanness than to take uniformity for an ideal, as if it were not a benefit and a joy to a man, being what he is, to know that many are, have been, and will be better than he. George Santayana More Quotes by George Santayana More Quotes From George Santayana To call war the soil of courage and virtue is like calling debauchery the soil of love. George Santayana callinglovewar In the Gospels, for instance, we sometimes find the kingdom of heaven illustrated by principles drawn from observation of this world rather than from an ideal conception of justice; ... They remind us that the God we are seeking is present and active, that he is the living God; they are doubtless necessary if we are to keep religion from passing into a mere idealism and God into the vanishing point of our thought and endeavour. George Santayana justiceheavenworld In this world we must either institute conventional forms of expression or else pretend that we have nothing to express; the choice lies between a mask and a figleaf. George Santayana choicesexpressionlying Nietzsche said that the earth has been a madhouse long enough. Without contradicting him we might perhaps soften the expression, and say that philosophy has been long enough an asylum for enthusiasts. George Santayana philosophicalexpressionphilosophy Civilization is perhaps approaching one of those long winters that overtake it from time to time. Romantic Christendom - picturesque, passionate, unhappy episode - may be coming to an end. Such a catastrophe would be no reason for despair. George Santayana wintercivilizationlong Nothing you can lose by dying is half as precious as the readiness to die, which is man's charter of nobility. George Santayana funeraldyingmen Most men's conscience, habits, and opinions are borrowed from convention and gather continually comforting assurances from the same social consensus that originally suggested them. George Santayana opinioncomfortingmen The universe, as far as we can observe it, is a wonderful and immense engine.... If we dramatize its life and conceive its spirit, we are filled with wonder, terror and amusement, so magnificent is the spirit. George Santayana amusementspiritworld Spirituality lies in regarding existence merely as a vehicle for contemplation, and contemplation merely a vehicle for joy. George Santayana spiritualjoylying I have no axe to grind; only my thoughts to burnish. George Santayana my-thoughtsgrind Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect, and it is shameful to surrender it too soon or to the first comer. George Santayana surrenderfirststhinking The spirit's foe in man has not been simplicity, but sophistication. George Santayana simple-lifesimplicitymen The Universe, so far as we can observe it, is a wonderful and immense engine; its extent, its order, its beauty, its cruelty, makes it alike impressive. George Santayana spacewonderfulorder The God to whom depth in philosophy bring back men's minds is far from being the same from whom a little philosophy estranges them George Santayana mindmenphilosophy Memory itself is an internal rumour; and when to this hearsay within the mind we add the falsified echoes that reach us from others, we have but a shifting and unseizable basis to build upon. The picture we frame of the past changes continually and grows every day less similar to the original experience which it purports to describe. George Santayana echoesmemoriespast In a moving world readaptation is the price of longevity. George Santayana changeworldmoving Science is nothing but developed perception, interpreted intent, common sense rounded out and minutely articulated. George Santayana common-senseperceptionscience I believe in the possibility of happiness, if one cultivates intuition and outlives the grosser passions, including optimism. George Santayana passionhappinessbelieve Any attempt to speak without speaking any particular language is not more hopeless than the attempt to have a religion that shall be no religion in particular.... Every living and healthy religion has a marked idiosyncrasy. Its power consists in its special and surprising message and the bias which that revelation gives to life. George Santayana healthyspecialgiving It is a great advantage for a system of philosophy to be substantially true. George Santayana phylosophyadvantagephilosophy
