We must think of human progress, not as of something going on in the race in general, but as something going on in a small minority, perpetually beleaguered in a few walled towns. Now and then the horde of barbarians outside breaks through, and we have an armed effort to halt the process. That is, we have a Reformation, a French Revolution, a war for democracy, a Great Awakening. The minority is decimated and driven to cover. But a few survive- and a few are enough to carry on.
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Man can be chained, but he cannot be domesticated.
Man can be chained, but he cannot be domesticated.
But the development of human society does not go straight forward; and the epic process will therefore be a recurring read more
But the development of human society does not go straight forward; and the epic process will therefore be a recurring process, the series a recurring series - though not in exact repetition .
...one of the tests of a theory is that, once grasped, it appears self-evident.
...one of the tests of a theory is that, once grasped, it appears self-evident.
What the intellectual craves above all else is to be taken seriously, to be treated as a decisive force in read more
What the intellectual craves above all else is to be taken seriously, to be treated as a decisive force in shaping history. He is far more at home in a society that weighs his every word and keeps close watch on his attitudes then in a society that cares not what he says or does. He would rather be persecuted than ignored.
Man differs from the animal only by a little; most men throw that little away.
Man differs from the animal only by a little; most men throw that little away.
He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because
he is sufficient for himself, read more
He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because
he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.
The best way to turn a woman's head is to tell her she has a beautiful profile.
The best way to turn a woman's head is to tell her she has a beautiful profile.
If a donkey bray at you, don't bray at him.
If a donkey bray at you, don't bray at him.
The desire to be different from the people we live with is sometimes the result of our rejection- real or read more
The desire to be different from the people we live with is sometimes the result of our rejection- real or imagined- by them.
