Famous Quotes by Samuel Butler

Below are famous quotes by Samuel Butler - English composer, novelist, & satiric author (1835 - 1902).

All animals except man know that the ultimate of life is to enjoy it.

All philosophies, if you ride them, are nonsense, but some are greater nonsense than others.

All progress is based on a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.

All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.

An apology for the devil: it must be remembered that we have heard one side of the case. God has written all the books.

Any fool can tell the truth, but it requires a man of some sense to know how to lie well.

Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds.

I consider being ill as one of the great pleasures of life, provided one is not too ill.

I do not mind lying, but I hate inaccuracy.

If the headache would only precede the intoxication, alcoholism would be a virtue.

If we attend continually and promptly to the little that we can do, we shall ere long be surprised to find how little remains that we cannot do.

It does not matter much what a man hates provided he hates something.

It has beeen said that the love of money is the root of all evil. The want of money is so quite as truly.

Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.

Life is like playing the violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.

Logic is like the sword--those who appeal to it shall perish by it.

Logic is like the sword: those who appeal to it shall perish by it.

Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them.

Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.

Man, unlike the animals, has never learned that the sole purpose of life is to enjoy it.

Men should not try to overstrain their goodness more than any other faculty.

People care more about being thought to have taste than about being good, clever, or amiable.

The best liar is he who makes the smallest amount of lying go the longest way.

The man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.

The three most important parts a man has are, briefly, his private parts, his money and his religious beliefs.

The voice of the Lord is the voice of common sense, which is shared by all that is

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