George Bernard Shaw

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.

All censorships exist to prevent anyone from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently, the first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.

The Jews generally give value. They make you pay; but they deliver the goods. In my experience the men who want something for nothing are invariably Christians.

A little learning is a dangerous thing, but we must take that risk because a little is as much as our biggest heads can hold.

Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most. On Other Peoples Expectations: The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor; he took my measurement anew every time he saw me, while all the rest went on with their old measurements and expected them to fit me.

Our spontaneous action is always the best. You cannot, with your best deliberation and heed, come so close to any question as your spontaneous glance shall bring you.

Arguments are like fire-arms which a man may keep at home but should not carry about with him.

Regardless of who you are or what you have been, you can be what you want to be.

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.

Every person is a God in embryo. Its only desire is to be born.

Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving.

Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.

Don’t order any black things. Rejoice in his memory; and be radiant: leave grief to the children. Wear violet and purple. Be patient with the poor people who will snivel: they don’t know; and they think they will live for ever, which makes death a division instead of a bond.

Cruelty would be delicious if one could only find some sort of cruelty that didn’t really hurt.

Most men would feel insulted if it were proposed to employ them in throwing stones over a wall, and then in throwing them back, merely that they might earn their wages. But many are no more worthily employed now.

Understanding is a two-way street.

The one who cannot restrain their anger will wish undone, what their temper and irritation prompted them to do.

The thought of two thousand people crunching celery at the same time horrified me.

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.