R.S. Thomas Quotes
There exists in man a mass of sense lying in a dormant state, and which, unless something excites it to action, will descend with him, in that condition, to the grave.
Perfectionism, of course, was something which even as a young man he had come to see as the innermost essence of talent.
We may be particularly inclined to acquire and retain beliefs that make us feel good.
we believe certain things because they ought to be true.
Now, Joyce being Joyce, he has about five different purposes, one not being enough for genius.
Gender and the complications it gives rise to simply aren't relevant to the lives appliances lead.
The need to control others as a prerequisite for male agency presupposed self-control. That imperative, in turn, included both the physical and emotional dimensions of a man’s bodily self.
Oskar showed that virtue emerged where it would, and the sort of churchy observance bishops called for was not a guarantee of genuine humanity in a person.
Some men may be snared by beauty alone, but none can be held except by virtue and compliance.
I often observe the absurdity of dreams, but never dream of the absurdity of my waking thoughts.
Pour, varlet, pour the waterThe water steaming hot!A spoonful for each man of usAnother for the pot!
There is no reason why an individual, who has the misfortune to become insane, should, on that account, be deprived of any comfort or even luxury...
All laughing comes from misapprehension. Rightly looked at there is no laughable thing under the sun.
Nothing is easier than to find some individuals—in any group—who share a given writer’s opinion, and to quote such individuals as if their views were typical.
There are so many different kinds of stupidity, and cleverness is one of the worst.
I looked up from my writing, And gave a start to see, As if rapt in my inditing, The moon's full gaze on me.
...this clumsy collision of two very impatient forms of ignorance was known as the quarrel of Science and Religion.
The sky is grey, with a thin TV-static drizzle that hangs in the air like it's been freeze-framed.
Anyone who takes a decided line in certain matters, is sure to lead all the rest.
The toaster (lacking real bread) would pretend to make two crispy slices of toast. Or, if the day seemed special in some way, it would toast an imaginary English muffin.
Immediate necessity makes many things convenient, which if continued would grow into oppressions. Expedience and right are different things.
But there were certain early days in Casterbridge- days of firmamental exhaustion which followed angry south-westerly tempests-when, if the sun shone, the air was like velvet.
Tom Farrell had always wished Hell on his boss. On New Years Eve... Hell sent someone.-Along For The Ride-
I do not find theism any more credible than materialism as a comprehensive world view. My interest is in the territory between them.
Shopkeepers —the great landed and commercial interests—regularly sat and slept, and where the two publicans occupied pews, but seldom made even the pretence of worshipping.
This work of making trade righteous, of Christianizing trade, looks like the very hardest the Gospel has ever had to take in hand—in England at any rate.
Grey hoped the Church would yet be able to save England from the fate of Tyre or Carthage, the great trading nations
She that in life and love refuses me, In death and shame my partner she shall be.
The proverb warns that, 'You should not bite the hand that feeds you.' But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself.
In a dazzling vote of confidence for form over substance, our culture fawns over the fleetingness of being “in love” while discounting the importance of loving. (206)
A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now.
This supreme instance of Troy's goodness fell upon Gabriel's ears like the thirteenth stroke of a crazy clock.
I'm crazy, boy. I'm a madman. I could eat both of you for dinner and love every bite.
A half knowledge of another's life mostly does injustice to the life unknown.
God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.~Ecclesiastes 3:17
We know something about billionaire consumption, but it is hard to measure some of it. Some billionaires are consuming politicians, others consume reporters, and some consume academics...
It would be so nice to be wanted by someone with the courage to get his hat or stay as he damn pleased, and who gave her credit for the same. Someone who didn't worry about her.
If you are lucky, one day you'll get the chance to have your life defined by how much you loved and were loved by someone else.
The flush toilet, more than any single invention, has 'civilized' us in a way that religion and law could never accomplish.
The university system, a gift of Western civilization to the world, was developed by the Catholic Church.
Operate your household like a productive business.
No low-trust society will ever produce sustained innovation.