Quote

The most melancholy of human reflections, perhaps, is that, on the whole, it is a question whether the benevolence of mankind does most good or harm.

Walter Bagehot

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Walter Bagehot
Age: 51 †
Born: 1826
Born: February 3
Died: 1877
Died: March 24
Businessperson
Economist
Engineer
Journalist
Political Scientist
Politician
Sociologist
Langport
Somerset
Humans
Reflection
Whole
Harm
Good
Mankind
Perhaps
Question
Whether
Reflections
Doe
Benevolence
Human
Melancholy

More quotes by Walter Bagehot

Image
So long as there are earnest believers in the world, they will always wish to punish opinions, even if their judgment tells them it is unwise and their conscience that it is wrong.
Walter Bagehot
Image
We see but one aspect of our neighbor, as we see but one side of the moon in either case there is also a dark half, which is unknown to us. We all come down to dinner, but each has a room to himself.
Walter Bagehot
Image
Efficiency in an assembly requires a solid mass of steady votes and these are collected by a deferential attachment to particular men, or by a belief in the principles that those men represent, and they are maintained by fear of those men - by the fear that if you vote against them, you may soon yourself have no vote at all.
Walter Bagehot
Image
Nothing is more unpleasant than a virtuous person with a mean mind.
Walter Bagehot
Image
But of all nations in the world the English are perhaps the least a nation of pure philosophers.
Walter Bagehot
Image
Capital must be propelled by self-interest it cannot be enticed by benevolence.
Walter Bagehot
Image
The most essential mental quality for a free people, whose liberty is to be progressive, permanent and on a large scale, is much stupidity.
Walter Bagehot
Image
All people are most credulous when they are most happy.
Walter Bagehot
Image
In the faculty of writing nonsense, stupidity is no match for genius.
Walter Bagehot
Image
Every banker knows that if he has to prove that he is worthy of credit, however good may be his arguments, in fact his credit is gone: but what we have requires no proof.
Walter Bagehot
Image
No real English gentleman, in his secret soul, was ever sorry for the death of a political economist.
Walter Bagehot
Image
In early times every sort of advantage tends to become a military advantage such is the best way, then, to keep it alive. But the Jewish advantage never did so beginning in religion, contrary to a thousand analogies, it remained religious.
Walter Bagehot
Image
When great questions end, little parties begin.
Walter Bagehot
Image
A slight daily unconscious luxury is hardly ever wanting to the dwellers in civilization like the gentle air of a genial climate, it is a perpetual minute enjoyment.
Walter Bagehot
Image
It has been said that England invented the phrase, 'Her Majesty's Opposition'.
Walter Bagehot
Image
Under a Presidential government, a nation has, except at the electing moment, no influence it has not the ballot-box before it its virtue is gone, and it must wait till its instant of despotism again returns.
Walter Bagehot
Image
It is often said that men are ruled by their imaginations but it would be truer to say they are governed by the weakness of their imaginations.
Walter Bagehot
Image
An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind.
Walter Bagehot
Image
Business is really more agreeable than pleasure it interests the whole mind, the aggregate nature of man more continuously, and more deeply. But it does not look as if it did.
Walter Bagehot
Image
Whenever two people meet, there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
Walter Bagehot