Selfish – a judgment readily passed by those who have never tested their own power of sacrifice.
Self-consciousness of manner which is the expensive substitute for simplicity.
Self-confidence is apt to address itself to an imaginary dullness in others; as people who are well off speak in a cajoling tone to the poor.
Secrets are rarely betrayed or discovered according to any programme our fear has sketched out. Fear is almost always haunted by terrible dramatic scenes, which recur in spite of the best-argued probabilities against them.
Science is properly more scrupulous than dogma. Dogma gives a charter to mistake, but the very breath of science is a contest with mistake, and must keep the conscience alive.
Sane people did what their neighbours did, so that if any lunatics were at large, one might know and avoid them.
Religion can only change when the emotions which fill it are changed; and the religion of personal fear remains nearly at the level of the savage.
Quarrel? Nonsense; we have not quarrelled. If one is not to get into a rage sometimes, what is the good of being friends?
Pride only helps us to be generous; it never makes us so, any more than vanity makes us witty.
Pride helps us; and pride is not a bad thing when it only urges us to hide our own hurts – not to hurt others.
Power of generalizing which gives men so much the superiority in mistake over the dumb animals.
Poetry and art and knowledge are sacred and pure.