The life of a thinking man will probably be divided into two parts -- the first in which he desires to exterminate modern thinkers, and the second in which he desires to watch them exterminating each other. ... Suppose, for instance, there is an old story and a new skeptic who is skeptical of the story. We have only to wait a little while for a yet newer skeptic who is skeptical of the skeptic. He will probably find the old notion actually a help in his new notion. This process is an abstract truth applying to anything, apart from agreement or disagreement.

The mind moves by instincts, associations and premonitions and not by fixed dates or completed processes. Action and reaction will occur simultaneously: or the cause actually be found after the effect. Errors will be resisted before they have been properly promulgated: notions will be first defined long after they are dead.

The old religionist cried out for his god. The new religionist cries out for some god to be his.

There is only one reason an intelligent person doesn't believe in miracles. He or she believes in materialism.

Before the Roman came to Rye or out to severn strode, / The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.

The chief object of education is not to learn things but to unlearn things.

Man seems to be capable of great virtues but not of small virtues; capable of defying his torturer but not of keeping his temper.