A good man's work is effected by doing what he does, a woman's by being what she is. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
When a man ceases to believe in god, he does not believe in nothing. He believes in everything. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain. Meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Dogma does not mean the absence of thought, but the end of thought. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Where does a wise man kick a pebble? On the beach. Where does a wise man hide a leaf? In the forest. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Not only does "orthodox" no longer mean being right, it practically means being wrong. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
If a man does not talk to himself, it is because he is not worth talking to. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad, but chess players do. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
I despise Birth-Control first because it is ... an entirely meaningless word; and is used so as to curry favour even with… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
There is no obligation on us to be richer, or busier, or more efficient, or more productive, or more progressive, or any… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
A modern man may disapprove of some of his sweeping reforms, and approve others; but finds it difficult not to admire even… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
A nation is not going mad when it does extravagant things, so long as it does them in an extravagant spirit. But… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with either eating or drinking; he can ruin himself with gambling. If he… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
There are many definite methods, honest and dishonest, which make people rich; the only instinct I know of which does it is… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
A man making the confession of any creed worth ten minutes' intelligent talk, is always a man who gains something and gives… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
A building is akin to dogma; it is insolent, like dogma. Whether or no it is permanent, it claims permanence, like a… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Exactly what the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms him for a series of clear pictures to the idea that these… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Exactly what the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms [the child] to the idea that these limitless terrors had a limit,… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Leaving the complications of the human breakfast-table out of account, in an elemental sense, the egg only exists to produce the chicken.… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
...But nature does not say that cats are more valuable than mice; nature makes no remark on the subject. She does not… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
A man making the confession of any creed worth ten minutes' intelligent talk, is always a man who gains something and gives… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Every true artist does feel, consciously or unconsciously, that he is touching transcendental truths; that his images are shadows of things seen… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Tradition does not mean a dead town; it does not mean that the living are dead but that the dead are alive.… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Folk-lore means that the soul is sane, but that the universe is wild and full of marvels. Realism means that the world… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
"The Universe repeats itself, with the possible exception of history." Of all earthly studies history is the only one that does not… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Ivory may not be so white as snow, but the whole Arctic continent does not make ivory black. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but too few capitalists. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Shouldn't atheist have an equal obligation to explain pleasure in a world of randomness. Where does pleasure come from? — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
It is very good for a man to talk about what he does not understand; as long as he understands that he… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
There is a case for telling the truth; there is a case for avoiding the scandal; but there is no possible defense… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect. Men do not quarrel about… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Making the landlord and the tenant the same person has certain advantages, as that the tenant pays no rent, while the landlord… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
The aesthete aims at harmony rather than beauty. If his hair does not match the mauve sunset against which he is standing,… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
Boyhood is a most complex and incomprehensible thing. Even when one has been through it, one does not understand what it was.… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
The most important fact about the subject of education is that there is no such thing. Education is not a subject and… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
It is true that there is a thing crudely called charity, which means charity to the deserving poor; but charity to the… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been reversed. Nowadays the part of… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
No one can understand Paris and its history who does not understand that its fierceness is the balance and justification of its… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share Image
The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
Youth is always too serious, and just now it is too serious about frivolity. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
Tradition does not mean a dead town; it does not mean that the living are dead but that the dead are alive. It means… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
It is shorter to state the things forbidden than the things permitted; precisely because most things are permitted and only a few things forbidden. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
For Scotland has a double dose of the poison called heredity; the sense of blood in the aristocrat, the sense of doom in the… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
Faith is always at a disadvantage; it is a perpetually defeated thing which survives all conquerors. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
A building is akin to dogma; it is insolent, like dogma. Whether or no it is permanent, it claims permanence, like a dogma. People… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
The triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
Criticism is only words about words, and of what use are words about such words as these? — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place...The old humility was a spur that prevented a man from stopping; not a… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
Plato was only a Bernard Shaw who unfortunately made his jokes in Greek. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
Eugenics asserts that all men must be so stupid that they cannot manage their own affairs; and also so clever that they can manage… — Gilbert K. Chesterton Copy Share
![“Exactly what the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms [the child] to the idea that these limitless terrors had a limit, that these shapeless enemies have enemies in the knights of God, that there is something in the universe more mystical than darkness, and stronger than strong fear.” quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_children_exactly-what-the-fairy-tale-does-is-this_2166819.jpg)
