George Bernard Shaw

The art of government is the organization of idolatry. The bureaucracy consists of functionaries; the aristocracy, of idols; the democracy, of idolaters. The populace cannot understand the bureaucracy: it can only worship the national idols.

Though I can make my extravaganzas appear credible, I cannot make the truth appear so.

Great art is never produced for its own sake. It is too difficult to be worth the effort.

Man is the only animal of which I am thoroughly and cravenly afraid of.

Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books nobody reads.

The philosopher is Nature’s pilot. And there you have our difference: to be n hell is to drift: to be in heaven is to steer.

Loyalty is still the same, whether it win or lose the game; true as a dial to the sun, although it be not shined upon.

I have heard with admiring submission the experience of the lady who declared that the sense of being perfectly well dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquility which religion is powerless to bestow.

I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching.

Work is life, you know, and without it, there’s nothing but fear and insecurity.

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

All this worldly wisdom was once the unamiable heresy of some wise man.

The words which express our faith and piety are not definite; yet they are significant and fragrant like frankincense to superior natures.

The results of life are uncalculated and uncalculable. The years teach much which the days never know. The persons who compose our company, converse, and come and go, and design and execute many things, and somewhat comes of it all, but an unlooked for result. The individual is always mistaken. He designed many things, and drew in other persons as coadjutors, quarrelled with some or all, blundered much, and something is done; all are a little advanced, but the individual is always mistaken. It turns out somewhat new, and very unlike what he promised himself.

There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.

The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.

We have a problem. Congratulations. But it’s a tough problem. Then double congratulations.

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, sir, should keep his friendship in a constant repair.

My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world.

A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner.

We must rekindle the fire of idealism in our society, for nothing suffocates the promise of America more than unbounded cynicism and indifference.