Herbert Quotes

My university education had been a shallow and superficial enterprise. The central driving forces of the economy I lived in were either ignored or left vague, to the point of meaningless.

Technology may create a condition, but the questions are what do we do about ourselves. We better understand ourselves pretty clearly and we better find ways to like ourselves

It is the function of parents to see that their children habitually experience the true consequences of their conduct.

If they are sufficiently complete to live, they do live, and it is well they should live. If they are not sufficiently complete to live, they die, and it is best they should die.

Practical atheism, seeing no guidance for human affairs but its own limited foresight, endeavors itself to play the god, and decide what will be good for mankind and what bad.

Evil perpetually tends to disappear.

Our lives are universally shortened by our ignorance.

Religion is the recognition that all things are manifestations of a Power which transcends our knowledge.

In assuming any office besides its essential one, the State begins to lose the power of fulfilling its essential one.

Education has for its object to develop the child into a man of well proportioned and harmonious nature-this is alike the aim of parent and teacher.

So far from science being irreligious, as many think, it is the neglect of science that is irreligious-it is the refusal to study the surrounding creation that is irreligious.

Lusts are like agues; the fit is not always on, and yet the man is not rid of his disease; and some men's lusts, like some agues, have not such quick returns as others.

Absolute morality is the regulation of conduct in such a way that pain shall not be inflicted.

Originally, ethics has no existence apart from religion, which holds it in solution.

We too often forget that not only is there 'a soul of goodness in things evil,' but very generally also, a soul of truth in things erroneous.

Though, probably, no competent geologist would contend that the European classification of strata is applicable to the globe as a whole; yet most, if not all geologists, write as though it were so.

Trends that can't continue, won't.

Come, let us make love deathless, thou and I, Seeing that our footing on the Earth is brief- Seeing that her multitudes sweep out to die Mocking at all that passes their belief.

For every epsilon, there is a delta.

There is no such thing as a good nuclear weapons system. There is no way to achieve, in the sound sense, national security through nuclear weapons.

Never underestimate the hypocrisy of politicians.

I hate violence, and I didn't plan to write horror; it just poured out of me.

I grew up in the East End of London, the youngest of three boys in a Catholic household. Both my parents were market traders and worked seven days a week.

I'm not into high literature, but I think all my books are literate.

I've actually seen a ghost, so I know they're really around.

I'm very cagey about making friends, and I rarely do.

I'm terrible in the mornings, but I'm always at my desk by 10 A.M.

I worry about the many things that could happen to the people I love.

I have a dread of sounding pretentious and try not to talk too much about what I do.

I've always suffered from being labelled a horror writer - just because I didn't go to university, just because I still talk in my natural voice, just because I'm not as articulate as Martin Amis.

Who says that fictions only and false hairBecome a verse? Is there in truth no beauty?Is all good structure in a winding stair?

Man is no star, but a quick coalOf mortal fire:Who blows it not, nor doth controlA faint desire,

Be calm in arguing: for fierceness makes Error a fault, and truth discourtesy.

Deceive not thy physician confessor nor lawyer.

Drink not the third glass - which thou can'st not tame when once it is within thee.

One father is more than 100 schoolmasters.

Little pitchers have wide ears.

God's mill grinds slow but sure.

Praise the sea but keep on land.

One sword keeps another in the sheath.

He that will learn to pray let him to sea.

Thou who has given so much to me give one thing more: a grateful heart.

Skill and confidence are an uncon-quered army.

The chicken is the country's but the city eats it.

There would be no great men if there were no little ones.

Read as you taste fruit or savor wine, or enjoy friendship, love or life.

Life is half spent before we know what it is.

Written words, if carefully laid down, represent the civilized ideal of reason.

There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.

The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action.