Bertrand Arthur William Russell

England
18 May 1872 // 2 Feb 1970
Philosopher / Mathematician

Quotes

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When people begin to philosophize they seem to think it necessary to make themselves artificially stupid
To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level
To be able to concentrate for a considerable time is essential to difficult achievement
To acquire immunity to eloquence is of the utmost importance to the citizens of a democracy
Thinking you know when in fact you don't is a fatal mistake, to which we are all prone
The secret to happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible
The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others
The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge
The difficulty is old, but none the less real. An omnipotent being who created a world containing evil not due to sin must Himself be at least partially evil
Philosophy is an unusually ingenious attempt to think fallaciously
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On Anger: "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
Essays
On Destiny: "Our destiny exercises its influence over us even when, as yet, we have not learned its nature: it is our future that lays down the law of our today."
Human, All Too Human
On Friendship: "A crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love."
Essays