George Eliot

The beginning of an acquaintance whether with persons or things is to get a definite outline of our ignorance.

Perhaps his might be one of the natures where a wise estimate of consequences is fused in the fires of that passionate belief which determines the consequences it believes in.

But the mother’s yearning, that completest type of the life in another life which is the essence of real human love, feels the presence of the cherished child even in the debased, degraded man.

One way of getting an idea of our fellow-countrymen’s miseries is to go and look at their pleasures.

Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure.

Play not with paradoxes. That caustic which you handle in order to scorch others may happen to sear your own fingers and make them dead to the quality of things.

You should always own a black dress because no one ever remembers a black dress.

The greatest genius is the most indebted person.

There are some sluggish men who are improved by drinking; as there are fruits that are not good until they are rotten.

Every time I think I have reached the peak, I look up and see I still have a ways to go. But I look back and see just how far I have come.

No God and no religion can survive ridicule. No political church, no nobility, no royalty or other fraud, can face ridicule in a fair field, and live.

Antiquities are history defaced, or some remnants of history which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time.

Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.

It is better to walk alone, then with a crowd going in the wrong direction.

A good indignation brings out all one’s powers.

He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.

The billiard table is better than the doctor.

We must substitute courage for caution.

On with dance, let joy be unconfined, is my motto; whether there’s any dance to dance or any joy to unconfined.

All promise outruns performance.

He gains everyone’s approval who mixes the pleasant with the useful.