The last few decades have been marked by a special cultivation of the romance of the future. We seem to have made up our minds to misunderstand what has happened; and we turn, with a sort of relief, to stating what will happen-which is apparently much easier...The modern mind is forced towards the future by a certain sense of fatigue, not unmixed with terror, with which it regards the past.

We cannot fling ourselves into the blank future; we can only call up images from the past. This being so, the important principle follows, that how many images we have largely depends on how much past we have.

America has a genius for the encouragement of fame.

Over-civilization and barbarism are within an inch of each other. And a mark of both is the power of medicine-men.

The poor complain that they are governed badly. The rich complain that they are governed at all.

It is the root of all religion that a man knows that he is nothing in order to thank God that he is something.

Oh, most unhappy man,' he cried, 'try to be happy! You have red hair like your sister.' My red hair, like red flames, shall burn up the world,' said Gregory.