There is nothing so unthinkable as thought, unless it be the entire absence of thought. — Samuel Butler Absence Copy Share Image
If you follow reason far enough it always leads to conclusions that are contrary to reason. — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
The public do not know enough to be experts, but know enough to decide between them. — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
Books want to be born: I never make them. They come to me and insist on being written, and on being such… — Samuel Butler Book Copy Share Image
“For Rhime the Rudder is of Verses, With which like Ships they steer their courses.” — Samuel Butler Poetry Copy Share Image
The man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore. — Samuel Butler Bored Copy Share Image
Christ: I dislike him very much. Still, I can stand him. What I cannot stand is the wretched band of people whose… — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
If we attend continually and promptly to the little that we can do, we shall ere long be surprised to find how… — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
The most important service rendered by the press and the magazines is that of educating people to approach printed matter with distrust. — Samuel Butler Approach Copy Share Image
Every man's work, whether it be literature, or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself. — Samuel Butler Architecture Copy Share Image
“A blind man knows he cannot see, and is glad to be led, though it be by a dog; but he that… — Samuel Butler Blind Copy Share Image
“The world is naturally averse to all truth it sees or hears but swallows nonsense and a lie with greediness and gluttony.” — Samuel Butler Greediness Copy Share Image
The wish to spread those opinions that we hold conducive to our own welfare is so deeply rooted in the English character… — Samuel Butler Character Copy Share Image
“Happiness and misery consist in a progression towards better or worse; it does not matter how high up or low down you… — Samuel Butler Happiness Copy Share Image
There are two great rules of life; the one general and the other particular. The first is that everyone can, in the… — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
There are two great rules in life, the one general and the other particular. The first is that every one can in… — Samuel Butler Life Copy Share Image
An idea must not be condemned for being a little shy and incoherent; all new ideas are shy when introduced first among… — Samuel Butler Ideas Copy Share Image
There is one class of mind that loves to lean on rules and definitions, and another that discards them as far as… — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
It seems to be the fate of man to seek all his consolations in futurity. The time present is seldom able to… — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
“We can never get rid of mouse-ideas completely, they keep turning up again and again, and nibble, nibble--no matter how often we… — Samuel Butler Ideas Copy Share Image
“For society indeed of all sorts, except of course that of a few intimate friends, he had an unconquerable aversion. "I always… — Samuel Butler Copy Share Image
“we must judge men not so much by what they, as by what they make us feel that they have it in… — Samuel Butler Life Copy Share Image
