Conscience is thoroughly well-bred and soon leaves off talking to those who do not wish to hear it. — Samuel Butler
Young people have a marvelous faculty of either dying or adapting themselves to circumstances. — Samuel Butler
One who is proud of ancestry is like a turnip; there is nothing good of him but that which is underground. — Samuel Butler
We should have patience and see whether the incoherency is likely to wear off or to wear on — Samuel Butler
Think of the hundreds of thousands whom christ has been crucifying in a quiet way ever since. — Samuel Butler
What I cannot stand is the wretched band of people whose profession is to hoodwink us about him. — Samuel Butler
Evil is like water, it abounds, is cheap, soon fouls, but runs itself clear of taint. — Samuel Butler
From a worldly point of view, there is no mistake so great as that of being always right. — Samuel Butler
All philosophies, if you ride them home, are nonsense, but some are greater nonsense than others. — Samuel Butler
All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income. — Samuel Butler
Books are like imprisoned souls till someone takes them down from a shelf and frees them. — Samuel Butler
Any fool can tell the truth, but it requires a man of some sense to know how to lie well. — Samuel Butler
A virtue to be serviceable must, like gold, be alloyed with some commoner, but more durable alloy. — Samuel Butler
Academic and aristocratic people live in such an uncommon atmosphere that common sense can rarely reach them. — Samuel Butler
The man who takes time to explain his mistakes has little time left for anything else. — Samuel Butler