The only words that ever satisfied me as describing Nature are the terms used in fairy books, charm, spell, enchantment. They express the arbitrariness of the fact and its mystery.
Mystery
Quotes, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
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You can never have a revolution in order to establish a
democracy. You must have a democracy in order to have a
revolution.
Democracy
Quotes, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton , Source: Tremendous Trifles--Wind and the trees
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At the bottom of all the tributes paid to democracy is the little
man, walking into the little booth, with a little pencil, making
a little cross on a little bit of paper. . . .
Democracy
Quotes, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton , Source: Tremendous Trifles--Wind and the trees
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I realized that ritual will always mean throwing away something;
Destroying our corn or wine upon the altar of our gods.
Religion
Quotes, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton , Source: Tremendous Trifles--Secret of a Train
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"My country, right or wrong," is a thing that no patriot would
think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying,
"My mother, drunk or sober."
Patriotism
Quotes, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton , Source: The Defendant
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When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.
Fish
Quotes, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton , Source: The Donkey
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Very few people in the world would care to listen to the real defense of their own characters. The real defense, the defense which belongs to the Day of Judgment, would make such damaging admissions, would clear away so many artificial virtues, would tell such tragedies of weakness and failure, that a man would sooner be misunderstood and censured by the world than exposed to that awful and merciless eulogy.
Christianity
Quotes, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
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The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up. And one of the games to which it is most attached is called, ''Keep tomorrow dark,'' and which is also named (by the rustics in Shropshire, I have no doubt) ''Cheat the Prophet.'' The players listen very carefully and respectfully to all that the clever men have to say about what is to happen in the next generation. The players then wait until all the clever men are dead, and bury them nicely. Then they go and do something else. That is all. For a race of simple tastes, however, it is great fun.
Society
Quotes, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
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