A Quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton

Men invent new ideals because they dare not attempt old ideals. They look forward with enthusiasm, because they are afraid to look back.

Gilbert K. Chesterton

Quote Topics

Afraid Attempt Back Because Dare Enthusiasm Forward Ideals Invent Look Men New New Idea Old

Quote Author

Gilbert K. Chesterton
English - Writer
May 29, 1874 - June 14, 1936

We know that we can defeat Islamist terrorism without violating our ideals; indeed, we must. These ideals, these American ideals.

Evan McMullin

I suppose we make kids the repository of our highest ideals because children are powerless. In that way we can have ideals and ignore them at the same time.

Ellen Goodman

Conservatives don't need to look for 'hope' in a person because people are imperfect. Conservatives put their stock in the ideology ushered forth by our Founding Fathers, the ideals that keep us free men.

Dana Loesch

Whereas modern cynicism brought despair about the ability of the human species to realize laudable ideals, postmodern cynicism doesn't — not because it's optimistic, but because it can't take ideals seriously in the first place. The prevailing attitude is Absurdism. A postmodern magazine may be irreverent, but not bitterly irreverent, for it's not purposefully irreverent; its aim is indiscriminate, because everyone is equally ridiculous. And anyway, there's no moral basis for passing judgment. Just sit back and enjoy the show.

Robert Wright

But the egoist has no ideals, for the knowledge that his ideals are only his ideals, frees him from their domination. He acts for his own interest, not for the interest of ideals.

John Buchanan Robinson

It's really interesting for me as a filmmaker to go back and look at the films I've made and see where I was at that point in my life and also where my ideals were and the beliefs that I had and look at the ways I've grown and evolved and apply that to the next thing.

Mark Webber

Look to the Lord and not to the world for your ideas and ideals about men and women.

Sheri L. Dew

We in America have some grand ideals - and some very strong ideals - but a lot of times, those ideals are used for marketing.

Brad Pitt

Ideals are very often formed in the effort to escape from the hard task of dealing with facts, which is the function of science and art. There is no process by which to reach an ideal. There are no tests by which to verify it. It is therefore impossible to frame a proposition about an ideal which can be proved or disproved. It follows that the use of ideals is to be strictly limited to proper cases, and that the attempt to use ideals in social discussion does not deserve serious consideration.

William Graham Sumner

We come to think of an idealist as one who seeks to realize what is not in fact realizable. But, it is necessary to insist, to have ideals is not the same as to have impracticable ideals, however often it may be the case that our ideals are impracticable.

Susan Stebbing

I told my wife I'm afraid to go back to the doctor because I'm afraid they're going to look at you and say: 'ma'am, just sell him for parts. It's like that old car that as soon as you fix one thing, something else goes out on it.

Bill Engvall

I think a family is the best way to open up the appeal of a show because everyone has a mother. Everyone has a father. Everyone has cousins or siblings. Everyone's trying to pursue their romantic ideals and their relationship ideals.

Mike O'Malley

One of the Taliban spokesmen said they have thousands of men who look forward to death like Americans look forward to living, which is great because we can arrange that. We'll set them up with death, we'll continue living.

Jay Leno

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

Samuel Ullman

I'm afraid to walk in public, because people look at me. But I'm not going to stop. I'm afraid because if I want to commune with my friend Shad (Meier), I have to ask him to cut my chicken for me. But I did it. And I'm afraid to go back and see my teammates and coaches because I know that I'll feel envy. But I'm going to do it anyway. Because fear is just a feeling, and if you can acknowledge that fear, digest that fear and overcome it, the rewards are incredible.