--- title: "10 May Quotes By Henry Adams" description: "10 May quotes by Henry Adams. Plus more from Henry Adams and more May sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/henry-adams-1542_blowing-up_some-day-science-may-have-the-existence_3189786.png" --- > [Some day science may have the existence of mankind in its power, and the human race commit suicide, by blowing up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/some-day-science-may-have-the-existence-of-mankind-in-its-power-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/henry-adams-1542_blowing-up_some-day-science-may-have-the-existence_3189786.png) > [If I grapple with sin in my own strength, the devil knows he may go to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength-the-devil-knows-he-may-go-to/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/henry-adams-1542_devil_if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength_83152.png) > [History is a tangled skein that one may take up at any point, and break when one has unravelled enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/history-is-a-tangled-skein-that-one-may-take-up-at-any-point-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/henry-adams-1542_break_history-is-a-tangled-skein-that-one-may_2476775.png) > [As for piracy, I love to be pirated. It is the greatest compliment an author can have. The wholesale piracy of Democracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/as-for-piracy-i-love-to-be-pirated-it-is-the-greatest-compliment-an/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/henry-adams-1542_books_as-for-piracy-i-love-to-be-pirated-it-is_604965.png) > [For after all man knows mighty little, and may some day learn enough of his own ignorance to fall down again and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/for-after-all-man-knows-mighty-little-and-may-some-day-learn-enough/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/henry-adams-1542_enough_for-after-all-man-knows-mighty-little-an_1863099.png) > [At the utmost, the active-minded young man should ask of his teacher only mastery of his tools. The young man himself, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/at-the-utmost-the-active-minded-young-man-should-ask-of-his-teacher/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/henry-adams-1542_active_at-the-utmost-the-active-minded-young-ma_1461353.png) > [Society' in America means all the honest, kindly-mannered, pleasant- voiced women, and all the good, brave, unassuming men, between the Atlantic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/society-in-america-means-all-the-honest-kindly-mannered-pleasant/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/henry-adams-1542_america_society-in-america-means-all-the-honest_2961490.png) > [You may cut off the heads of every rich man now living--of every statesman--every literary, and every scientific authority, without in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich-man-now-living-of-every/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daa/henry-adams-1542_artist_you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich_145882.png) > [The President may indeed in one respect resemble the commander of an army in peace, but in another and more essential sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-president-may-indeed-in-one-respect-resemble-the-commander-of-an/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/henry-adams-1542_army_the-president-may-indeed-in-one-respect_1120235.jpg) > [A certain secret jealousy of the British Minister is always lurking in the breast of every American Senator, if he is truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/a-certain-secret-jealousy-of-the-british-minister-is-always-lurking/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/722/henry-adams-1542_benefits_a-certain-secret-jealousy-of-the-british_2344389.png) ## Other authors on May ## More by Henry Adams > [I am fairly tired--bored beyond endurance--by the world we live in, and its ideals, and am ready to say so, not violently, but kindly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/i-am-fairly-tired-bored-beyond-endurance-by-the-world-we-live-in-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“One had heard and read a great deal about death, and even seen a little of it, and knew by heart the thousand commonplaces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/one-had-heard-and-read-a-great-deal-about-death-and-even-seen-a/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/chaos-often-breeds-life-when-order-breeds-habit/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The chief wonder of education is that it does not ruin everybody concerned in it, teachers and taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-chief-wonder-of-education-is-that-it-does-not-ruin-everybody/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-american-president-resembles-the-commander-of-a-ship-at-sea-he/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The proof that a philosopher does not know what he is talking about is apt to sadden his followers before it reacts on himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-proof-that-a-philosopher-does-not-know-what-he-is-talking-about/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [No man should be in politics unless he would honestly rather not be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/no-man-should-be-in-politics-unless-he-would-honestly-rather-not-be/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [In the history of the United States, there is no continuity at all. You can cut through it anywhere and nothing on this side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/in-the-history-of-the-united-states-there-is-no-continuity-at-all-you/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“Washington was no politician as we understand the word," replied Ratcliffe abruptly. "He stood outside of politics. The thing couldn't be done today. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/washington-was-no-politician-as-we-understand-the-word-replied/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Power when wielded by abnormal energy is the most serious of facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/power-when-wielded-by-abnormal-energy-is-the-most-serious-of-facts/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [If I grapple with sin in my own strength, the devil knows he may go to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength-the-devil-knows-he-may-go-to/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [All State education is a sort of dynamo machine for polarizing the popular mind; for turning and holding its lines of force in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/all-state-education-is-a-sort-of-dynamo-machine-for-polarizing-the/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [You may cut off the heads of every rich man now living--of every statesman--every literary, and every scientific authority, without in the least changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich-man-now-living-of-every/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [History is the most aristocratic of all literary pursuits, because it obliges the historian to be rich as well as educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/history-is-the-most-aristocratic-of-all-literary-pursuits-because-it/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The philosopher says--I am, and the church scouts his philosophy. She answers:--No! you are NOT, you have no existence of your own. You were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-philosopher-says-i-am-and-the-church-scouts-his-philosophy-she/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/henry-adams/#itemlist", "name": "10 May Quotes By Henry Adams", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some day science may have the existence of mankind in its power, and the human race commit suicide, by blowing up the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/some-day-science-may-have-the-existence-of-mankind-in-its-power-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/henry-adams-1542_blowing-up_some-day-science-may-have-the-existence_3189786.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/henry-adams-1542_blowing-up_some-day-science-may-have-the-existence_3189786.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/henry-adams-1542_blowing-up_some-day-science-may-have-the-existence_3189786.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some day science may have the existence of mankind in its power, and the human race commit suicide, by…” — Henry Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I grapple with sin in my own strength, the devil knows he may go to sleep.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength-the-devil-knows-he-may-go-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/henry-adams-1542_devil_if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength_83152.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/henry-adams-1542_devil_if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength_83152.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/henry-adams-1542_devil_if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength_83152.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I grapple with sin in my own strength, the devil knows he may go to sleep.” — Henry Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History is a tangled skein that one may take up at any point, and break when one has unravelled enough.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/history-is-a-tangled-skein-that-one-may-take-up-at-any-point-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/henry-adams-1542_break_history-is-a-tangled-skein-that-one-may_2476775.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/henry-adams-1542_break_history-is-a-tangled-skein-that-one-may_2476775.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/henry-adams-1542_break_history-is-a-tangled-skein-that-one-may_2476775.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“History is a tangled skein that one may take up at any point, and break when one has unravelled enough.” — Henry Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As for piracy, I love to be pirated. 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Only, if such is God's will, and Fate and Evolution--let there be God!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/for-after-all-man-knows-mighty-little-and-may-some-day-learn-enough/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/henry-adams-1542_enough_for-after-all-man-knows-mighty-little-an_1863099.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/henry-adams-1542_enough_for-after-all-man-knows-mighty-little-an_1863099.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/henry-adams-1542_enough_for-after-all-man-knows-mighty-little-an_1863099.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For after all man knows mighty little, and may some day learn enough of his own ignorance to fall down again…” — Henry Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At the utmost, the active-minded young man should ask of his teacher only mastery of his tools. The young man himself, the subject of education, is a certain form of energy; the object to be gained is economy of his force; the training is partly the clearing away of obstacles, partly the direct application of effort. Once acquired, the tools and models may be thrown away.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/at-the-utmost-the-active-minded-young-man-should-ask-of-his-teacher/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/henry-adams-1542_active_at-the-utmost-the-active-minded-young-ma_1461353.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/henry-adams-1542_active_at-the-utmost-the-active-minded-young-ma_1461353.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/henry-adams-1542_active_at-the-utmost-the-active-minded-young-ma_1461353.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At the utmost, the active-minded young man should ask of his teacher only mastery of his tools. 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Each of these has a free pass in every city and village, 'good for this generation only,' and it depends on each to make use of this pass or not as it may happen to suit his or her fancy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/society-in-america-means-all-the-honest-kindly-mannered-pleasant/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/henry-adams-1542_america_society-in-america-means-all-the-honest_2961490.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/henry-adams-1542_america_society-in-america-means-all-the-honest_2961490.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/henry-adams-1542_america_society-in-america-means-all-the-honest_2961490.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Society' in America means all the honest, kindly-mannered, pleasant- voiced women, and all the good, brave…” — Henry Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You may cut off the heads of every rich man now living--of every statesman--every literary, and every scientific authority, without in the least changing the social situation. Artists, of course, disappeared long ago as social forces. So did the church. Corporations are not elevators, but levellers, as I see them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich-man-now-living-of-every/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daa/henry-adams-1542_artist_you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich_145882.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daa/henry-adams-1542_artist_you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich_145882.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daa/henry-adams-1542_artist_you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich_145882.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You may cut off the heads of every rich man now living--of every statesman--every literary, and every…” — Henry Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The President may indeed in one respect resemble the commander of an army in peace, but in another and more essential sense he resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port to seek. He must sooner or later be convinced that a perpetual calm is as little to his purpose as a perpetual hurricane, and that without headway the ship can arrive nowhere.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-president-may-indeed-in-one-respect-resemble-the-commander-of-an/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/henry-adams-1542_army_the-president-may-indeed-in-one-respect_1120235.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/henry-adams-1542_army_the-president-may-indeed-in-one-respect_1120235.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/henry-adams-1542_army_the-president-may-indeed-in-one-respect_1120235.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The President may indeed in one respect resemble the commander of an army in peace, but in another and more…” — Henry Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A certain secret jealousy of the British Minister is always lurking in the breast of every American Senator, if he is truly democratic; for democracy, rightly understood, is the government of the people, by the people, for the benefit of Senators, and there is always a danger that the British Minister may not understand this political principle as he should.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Adams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/a-certain-secret-jealousy-of-the-british-minister-is-always-lurking/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/722/henry-adams-1542_benefits_a-certain-secret-jealousy-of-the-british_2344389.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/722/henry-adams-1542_benefits_a-certain-secret-jealousy-of-the-british_2344389.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/722/henry-adams-1542_benefits_a-certain-secret-jealousy-of-the-british_2344389.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A certain secret jealousy of the British Minister is always lurking in the breast of every American Senator…” — Henry Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/henry-adams/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/henry-adams/", "name": "May Quotes by Henry Adams", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/henry-adams/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/henry-adams-1542_blowing-up_some-day-science-may-have-the-existence_3189786.png" }, "description": "10 May quotes by Henry Adams. 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