Gilbert K. Chesterton
Gilbert K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG, better known as G. K. Chesterton, was an English writer, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, lay theologian, biographer, and literary and art critic. Chesterton is often referred to as the "prince of paradox." Time magazine has observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out."...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth29 May 1874
christian difficult found ideal left tried
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.
foundation digestion
Our digestions, going sacredly and silently right, that is the foundation of all poetry.
believe found preaching
I believe in preaching to the converted; for I have generally found that the converted do not understand their own religion.
firsts found first-time
When a person has found something which he prefers to life itself, he for the first time has begun to live.
lasts found scoundrels
I have formed a very clear conception of patriotism. I have generally found it thrust into the foreground by some fellow who has something to hide in the background. I have seen a great deal of patriotism; and I have generally found it the last refuge of the scoundrel.
catching discovered miss train
The only way of catching a train I have ever discovered is to miss the train before.
brute mere sort
The mere brute pleasure of reading the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing.
man
Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.
action believe falls however men unless
I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.
funny food sarcasm
The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
two people world
There are two kinds of people in the world, the conscious dogmatists and the unconscious dogmatists. I have always found myself that the unconscious dogmatists were by far the most dogmatic.
clouds tree secret
Shall I tell you the secret of the whole world? It is that we have only known the back of the world. We see everything from behind, and it looks brutal. That is not a tree, but the back of a tree. That is not a cloud, but the back of a cloud. Cannot you see that everything is stooping and hiding a face? If we could only get round in front--
done danger ifs
If you convey to a woman that something ought to be done, there is always a dreadful danger that she will suddenly do it.
leaving liberty lovers
Liberty has produced scepticism, and scepticism has destroyed liberty. The lovers of liberty thought they were leaving it unlimited, when they were only leaving it undefined. They thought they were only leaving it undefined, when they were really leaving it undefended.