George Bernard Shaw

Statistics show that of those who contract the habit of eating, very few survive.

No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means.

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

I never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer. Inside the cage he is at least safe from people.

Men are not governed by justice, but by law or persuasion. When they refuse to be governed by law or persuasion, they have to be governed by force or fraud, or both.

If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.

Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished.

There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.

How can you dare teach a man to read until you’ve taught him everything else first?

Few people have any next, they live from hand to mouth without a plan, and are always at the end of their line.

We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience.

Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.

A man should be just cultured enough to be able to look with suspicion upon culture at first, not second hand.

Doing as others told me, I was blind. Coming when others called me, I was lost. Then I left everyone, myself as well. Then I found myself, myself as well.

The next best thing to knowing something is knowing where to find it.

It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire and many things to fear.

A cynic can chill and dishearten with a single word.

We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.

Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.

Is not a patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and, when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labors, had it been early, had been kind; but it has been delayed till I am indifferent, and cannot enjoy it; till I am solitary, and cannot impart it; till I am known, and do not want it.

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.