---
title: "4 Characteristics Quotes By Robertson Davies"
description: "4 Characteristics quotes by Robertson Davies. Plus more from Robertson Davies and more Characteristics sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/robertson-davies-834_books_to-be-a-book-collector-is-to-combine-the_283224.png"
---

> [To be a book-collector is to combine the worst characteristics of a dope fiend with those of a miser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/to-be-a-book-collector-is-to-combine-the-worst-characteristics-of-a/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72e/robertson-davies-834_books_to-be-a-book-collector-is-to-combine-the_283224.png)

> [A boy is a man in miniature, and though he may sometimes exhibit notable virtue, as well as characteristics that seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/a-boy-is-a-man-in-miniature-and-though-he-may-sometimes-exhibit/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b33/robertson-davies-834_boys_a-boy-is-a-man-in-miniature-and-though-h_371537.png)

> [Clarity is not a characteristic of the human spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/clarity-is-not-a-characteristic-of-the-human-spirit/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fe/robertson-davies-834_characteristics_clarity-is-not-a-characteristic-of-the-h_831714.png)

> [Real bibliophiles do not put their books on shelves for people to look at or handle. They have no desire to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/real-bibliophiles-do-not-put-their-books-on-shelves-for-people-to/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/robertson-davies-834_bars_real-bibliophiles-do-not-put-their-books_1494225.png)

## Other authors on Characteristics

## More by Robertson Davies

> [“...the irrational will have its say, perhaps because 'irrational' is the wrong word for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/the-irrational-will-have-its-say-perhaps-because-irrational-is-the/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [If you're going to do something that looks evil, don't smear it with icing and pretend it's good; just bloody well do it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/if-you-re-going-to-do-something-that-looks-evil-don-t-smear-it-with/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/extraordinary-people-survive-under-the-most-terrible-circumstances/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [Although there may be nothing new under the sun, what is old is new to us and so rich and astonishing that we never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/although-there-may-be-nothing-new-under-the-sun-what-is-old-is-new-to/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [If I had to describe my remarks this evening frankly as if I were in police court and on oath, so to speak I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/if-i-had-to-describe-my-remarks-this-evening-frankly-as-if-i-were-in/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [The people of the United States, perhaps more than any other nation in history, love to abase themselves and proclaim their unworthiness, and seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/the-people-of-the-united-states-perhaps-more-than-any-other-nation-in/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [I don't suppose God laughs at the people who think He doesn't exist. He's above jokes. But the devil isn't. That's one of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/i-don-t-suppose-god-laughs-at-the-people-who-think-he-doesn-t-exist/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [Inactivity and deprivation of all accustomed stimulus is not rest; it is a preparation for the tomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/inactivity-and-deprivation-of-all-accustomed-stimulus-is-not-rest-it/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [“My lifelong involvement with Mrs Dempster began at 5:58 o'clock p.m. on 27 December 1908, at which time I was ten years and seven months old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/my-lifelong-involvement-with-mrs-dempster-began-at-5-58-o-clock-p-m/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [In a government like ours, the Crown is the abiding and unshakable element in government; politicians may come and go, but the Crown remains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/in-a-government-like-ours-the-crown-is-the-abiding-and-unshakable/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [The art of the quoter is to know when to stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/the-art-of-the-quoter-is-to-know-when-to-stop/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [There can be no doubt that Samuel Marchbanks is one of the choice and master spirits of this age. If there were such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/there-can-be-no-doubt-that-samuel-marchbanks-is-one-of-the-choice-and/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [Nobody who looks as though he enjoyed life is ever called distinguished, though he is a man in a million.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/nobody-who-looks-as-though-he-enjoyed-life-is-ever-called/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [They're all so highly educated, you know. Education is a great shield against experience. It offers so much, ready-made and all from the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/they-re-all-so-highly-educated-you-know-education-is-a-great-shield/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [Students today are a pretty solemn lot. One of the really notable achievements of the twentieth century has been to make the young old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/students-today-are-a-pretty-solemn-lot-one-of-the-really-notable/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

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