The collection / 11 fragments

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Passages, proverbs, and questions carried across the ages.

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01Undated

If it's really education you want for Nathan,' Buell said, 'have him read the papers, so he'll know what's going on in the world, and why. Teach him to be interested in everything he doesn't understand - interested enough to find out about it from books or people that aren't afraid to tell the truth.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

02Undated

All of us know history repeats itself, but mighty few of us recognize the repetition until too late.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

03Undated

Valiant! The word mocked me, for I knew myself to be anything but valiant. What I had done, I had done in a fit of insane bitterness, not with cool courage, not with brave quick thinking, not with presence of mind - but with absence of it.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

04Undated

People never believe anything - except scandal - when they first hear it.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

05Undated

People never believe anything - except scandal - when they first heart it.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

06Undated

Great men tell the truth and are never believed. Lesser men are always believed, but seldom have the brains or the courage to tell the truth.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

07Undated

My God, Judge, do men believe whatever lie they hear about an enemy?

Kenneth Roberts / quote

08Undated

Never until the wounded came back from Bunker Hill had I realized the lengths of which a determined minority will go in order to achieve its ends. For the first time I understood one of the fundamentals of warfare: that armies cannot be raised by nations or parties unless the rage of the people is first kindled by lies and name-calling.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

09Undated

If I was a private individual, I'd be more careful; but being as I'm a government, I'm privileged to make a God-damned fool of myself in any way I choose, especially by spending a lot more money than I've got or ever will have, and promising to do things that I ain't got a chance of doing.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

10Undated

I'll never use force to try to make my enemies think the way I think, George - partly because I don't believe in it, and partly because it's useless. You can't destroy ideas by force, and you can't hide 'em by silence.

Kenneth Roberts / quote

11Undated

I learned, then, beyond question, that if all the property in the world were distributed, and an equal share given to everyone, the bulk of mankind would soon be destitute, and a few would have everything.

Kenneth Roberts / quote