Quotes from William Ralph Inge


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    The enemies of freedom do not argue; they shout and they shoot.

    Freedom | Enemy | Shoot


    Consciousness is a phase of mental life which arises in connection with the formation of new habits. When habit is formed, consciousness only interferes to spoil our performance.

    Life | Habits | Connection


    Public opinion, a vulgar, impertinent, anonymous tyrant who deliberately makes life unpleasant for anyone who is not content to the average person.

    Life | Opinion | Content


    Many people believe that they are attracted by God, or by Nature, when they are only repelled by man.

    Nature | God | Attracted


    Literature flourishes best when it is half a trade and half an art.

    Communication | Best | Art


    In dealing with Englishmen you can be sure of one thing only, that the logical solution will not be adopted.

    Solution | Sure | Dealing


    Every institution not only carries within it the seeds of its own dissolution, but prepares the way for its most hated rival.

    Seeds | Within | Hated


    I have never understood why it should be considered derogatory to the Creator to suppose that he has a sense of humour.

    Humour | Creator | Understood


    True faith is belief in the reality of absolute values.

    Faith | Reality | Values


    To become a popular religion, it is only necessary for a superstition to enslave a philosophy.

    Religion | Philosophy


    No Christian can be a pessimist, for Christianity is a system of radical optimism.

    Optimism | Christian | System


    Events in the past may be roughly divided into those which probably never happened and those which do not matter.

    Past | Matter | Events


    A man may build himself a throne of bayonets, but he can't sit on it.

    Build | Sit | Throne


    I think middle-age is the best time, if we can escape the fatty degeneration of the conscience which often sets in at about fifty.

    Best | Time | Escape


    Originality is undetected plagiarism.

    Plagiarism


    Theater is, of course, a reflection of life. Maybe we have to improve life before we can hope to improve theater.

    Life | Hope | Reflection


    A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and by common hatred of its neighbours.

    Patriotism | Society | Nation


    Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next.

    Age | Spirit | Next


    Prayer gives a man the opportunity of getting to know a gentleman he hardly ever meets. I do not mean his maker, but himself.

    Prayer | Gentleman | Himself


    It is astonishing with how little wisdom mankind can be governed, when that little wisdom is its own.

    Wisdom | Mankind | Governed


       

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