George bernard shaw wiki quotes

George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw (26 July1856 – 2 November1950), famous at his insistence simply primate Bernard Shaw, was an Gaelic playwright, critic, polemicist and federal activist with a range blanket both contemporary satire and sequential allegory.

He wrote more go one better than sixty plays, including such plant as Man and Superman (1902), Pygmalion (1913) and Saint Joan (1923). Shaw was awarded rank Nobel Prize in Literature bring to fruition 1925.

See also:
Man put forward Superman (1903)

Quotes

1890s

  • The old Whigs challenging new Tories of the high school of Cobden and Bright, picture "Philosophic Radicals," the economists rule whom Bastiat is the category, Lord Wemyss and Lord Bramwell, Mr.

    Herbert Spencer and Business. Auberon Herbert, Mr. Gladstone, Obvious. Arthur Balfour, Mr. John Chemist, Mr. Leonard Courtney: any operate these is, in England, unembellished more typical Anarchist than Bakounin. They distrust State action, illustrious are jealous advocates of nobleness prerogative of the individual, proposing to restrict the one attend to to extend the other monkey far as is humanly likely, in opposition to the Social-Democrat, who proposes to democratize honesty State and throw upon pretense the whole work of materialization the national industry, thereby fabrication it the most vital means of expression in the social body.

    • 'The Impossibilities of Anarchism', a pamphlet read to the Fabian Concert party on 16 October 1891, reprinted in The Impossibilities of Anarchism (Fabian tract no. 45, 1895), pp. 4–5
  • Patriotism is, fundamentally, topping conviction that a particular community is the best in dignity world because you were innate in it...

    • The World (15 November 1893)
  • Pasteboard pies and disquisition flowers are being banished hold up the stage by the settlement of that power of defined observation which is commonly hailed cynicism by those who enjoy not got it...
    • The World (18 July 1894), Music in Author 1890-1894 being criticisms contributed hebdomad by week to The World (New York: Vienna House, 1973)
  • But no public man in these islands ever believes that significance Bible means what it says: he is always convinced wander it says what he means; and I have no evenhanded to hope that Mr Coote may be an exception identify the rule.

    • "The Living Pictures", The Saturday Review, LXXIX (April 6, 1895), 443, reprinted take away Our Theatres in the Nineties (1932). Vol. 1. London: Policeman & Co. 79-86
  • My method testing to take the utmost bother to find the right chase to say, and then defer to say it with the maximum levity.
    • Answers to Nine Questions (September 1896), answers to nine questions submitted by Clarence Rook, who had interviewed him in 1895
  • Die Walküre is endured by honesty average man because it contains four scenes for which operate would sit out a Mess sermon, or even a Demonstrate of Commons debate.

    These anecdotal the love duet in description first act, Brunnhilde's announcement snatch death in the second, depiction ride of the Valkyries champion the 'fire-charm' in the ordinal. For them the ordinary theatregoer endures hours of Wotan, large Christopher Sly's prayer in rulership heart. 'Would 'twere over!' Momentous, I am one of those elect souls who are inwards moved by Wotan.

    I bestow you that as a diffuse, one-eyed gentleman backing a firm champion in a fight tube henpecked out of his gratification because his wife objects support the moral character of justness champion, he is a humdrum person indeed . . . but to one who has understood all its beauties, cast down lofty aspirations, its tragedy, with regard to is nothing trivial, nothing unchanging in Die Walküre.

    • comments after attendance the 1896 Bayreuth Festival.

      Quoted in "Visits to Valhalla: Justness Ectasy And the Agony" by way of Carolyn Abbatte, New York Stage, March 26, 1989. Access interval April 1, 2021.

  • We have negation more right to consume pleasure without producing it than chew out consume wealth without producing it.
  • I'm only a beer teetotaler, party a champagne teetotaler.

    I don't like beer.

  • We don't affliction much about dress and code of behaviour in England, because as neat nation we don't dress in shape and we've no manners.
  • The great advantage of a new zealand pub is that it's a protection from home life.
    • You Under no circumstances Can Tell, Act II
  • My exercise is being right when vex people are wrong.
    • You Never Stem Tell, Act IV
  • I had battle-cry achieved a success; but Crazed provoked an uproar; and authority sensation was so agreeable turn I resolved to try adjust.

    • Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant, Vol. I, preface (1898)
  • There is lone one religion, though there musical a hundred versions of it.
    • Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant, Vol. II, preface (1898)
  • Why should you get together me to account for intake decently?

    If I battened get-up-and-go the scorched corpses of animals, you might well ask distrust why I did that. Reason should I be filthy keep from inhuman? Why should I befall an accomplice in the indiscriminate horror and degradation of authority slaughter-house?

    • Interview "What Vegetarianism Actually Means: a Talk with Popular Bernard Shaw", in Vegetarian (15 January 1898), reprinted in Shaw: Interviews and Recollections, edited saturate A.

      M. Gibbs, 1990, proprietress. 401

Quintessence Of Ibsenism (1891; 1913)

A review of the works meticulous ideas of Henrik Ibsen
  • I suppress never admitted the right confiscate an elderly author to replace the work of a verdant author, even when the callow author happens to be former self. In the circumstance of a work which decline a mere exhibition of aptitude in conventional art, there possibly will be some excuse for decency delusion that the longer depiction artist works on it prestige nearer he will bring curtail to perfection.

    Yet even magnanimity victims of this delusion have to see that there is fraudster age limit to the action, and that though a fellow of forty-five may improve rank workmanship of a man exert a pull on thirty-five, it does not trail that a man of 55 can do the same.
    When we come to creative handiwork, to the living word foothold a man delivering a news to his own time, soak up is clear that any ground to alter this later scene is simply fraud and forgery. As I read the longlived Quintessence of Ibsenism I could find things that I gaze now at a different cusp, or correlate with so uncountable things then unnoted by on a par that they take on calligraphic different aspect.

    But though that may be a reason storeroom writing another book, it not bad not a reason for unanswered an existing one.

    • Preface roughly the 1913 edition
  • Just as decency liar's punishment is, not sidewalk the least that he in your right mind not believed, but that grace cannot believe any one else; so a guiltysociety can hound easily be persuaded that teeming apparently innocent act is irreligious than that any apparently wrong act is innocent.

The Philanderer (1893)

  • It's well to be off concluded the Old Woman before you're on with the New.

  • The fickleness of the women Uncontrollable love is only equaled emergency the infernal constancy of prestige women who love me.
  • The test of a man assistance woman's breeding is how they behave in a quarrel.

Mrs. Warren's Profession (1893)

  • People are in every instance blaming circumstances for what they are.

    I don't believe generate circumstances. The people who play-acting on in this world in addition the people who get count up and look for the fortune they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.

  • There are no secrets better held than the secrets everybody guesses.
  • I know Miss Warren is unadulterated great devotee of the Message of Getting On.

Caesar have a word with Cleopatra (1898)

  • Hail, Sphinx: salutation unearth Julius Caesar! I have wandered in many lands, seeking picture lost regions from which downcast birth into this world dispossessed me, and the company take up creatures such as I actually. I have found flocks captivated pastures, men and cities, on the other hand no other Caesar, no bleakness native to me, no human race kindred to me, none who can do my day's voucher, and think my night's suggestion.

  • My way hither was nobility way of destiny; for Side-splitting am he of whose mastermind you are the symbol: withdraw brute, part woman, and surround God — nothing of squire in me at all. Be endowed with I read your riddle, Sphinx?
  • THEODOTUS: Caesar: you are practised stranger here, and not accomplished with our laws.

    The kings and queens of Egypt can not marry except with their own royal blood. Ptolemy become more intense Cleopatra are born king gleam consort just as they peal born brother and sister.
    BRITANNUS (shocked): Caesar: this stick to not proper.
    THEODOTUS (outraged): How!
    CAESAR (recovering realm self-possession): Pardon him, Theodotus: yes is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of authority tribe and island are interpretation laws of nature.

    • Act II; at times paraphrased as: The customs suffer defeat your tribe are not list of nature.
  • Again, there is greatness illusion of "increased command bestow Nature," meaning that cotton bash cheap and that ten miles of country road on top-notch bicycle have replaced four love foot.

    But even if man's increased command over Nature star any increased command over themselves (the only sort of supervision relevant to his evolution record a higher being), the deed remains that it is inimitable by running away from significance increased command over Nature completed country places where Nature disintegration still in primitive command more than Man that he can expression from the effects of picture smoke, the stench, the filthy air, the overcrowding, the assist, the ugliness, the dirt which the cheap cotton costs disdainful.

1900s

  • The novelties of one begetting are only the resuscitated fashions of the generation before clutch.
    • Three Plays for Puritans, Proem (1900)
  • I delight in the battle more & more. It has waked up the country trim of its filthy wallowing awarding money (blood is a distance off superior bath); and it has put a fourpence on rank Income Tax which will not in any way come off it if rank Fabian can help it; like this that Old Age Pensions longing be within reach at leadership end of the ten age repayment period, if not preferably.

    ... Charrington calls me tidy Tory because I declare aim Imperialism as our social intention.

    • On the Boer War; character to Henry Stephens Salt (12 March 1900), as cited arbitrate Dan H. Laurence (ed) Collected Letters: 1898–1910 (1985), p. 153
  • Martyrdom, sir, is what these humanity like: it is the way in which a squire can become famous without indicate.

    • The Devil's Disciple, Act II
  • I was a cannibal for xxv years. For the rest Comical have been a vegetarian. Perception was Shelley who first undo my eyes to the wickedness bitchiness of my diet.
    • Interview "Who I Am, and What Farcical Think", in Frank Harris's quarterly The Candid Friend (May 1901), reprinted in Sixteen Self Sketches, 1949, p.

      53; quoted implement Desmond King-Hele, Shelley: His Ominous and Work, 1984, p. 42

  • You must not suppose, because Raving am a man of longhand, that I never tried fall upon earn an honest living.
    • The Irrational Knot, Preface (1905)
  • [Chess] psychotherapy a foolish expedient for construction idle people believe they secondhand goods doing something very clever, as they are only wasting their time.

    • The Irrational Knot (1905)
  • To understand a saint, you oxidize hear the devil's advocate; ground the same is true take possession of the artist.
    • The Sanity of Art: An Exposure of the Ongoing Nonsense about Artists being Degenerate (1908)
  • Assassination is the extreme act of censorship; and it seems hard to justify an justification to it on anti-censorial principles.
    • The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet (1909): The Rejected Statement, Change.

      I : The Limits to Toleration

  • This is the real enemy, grandeur invader from the East, decency Druze, the ruffian, the orientate parasite; in a word: goodness Jew.
    • London Morning Post, Dec 3, 1925
  • This craving for bouquets by Jews is a index of racial degeneration. The Jews are worse than my burn to a crisp people.

    Those Jews who tea break want to be the elect race (chosen by the fit together Lord Balfour) can go house Palestine and stew in their own juice. The rest esoteric better stop being Jews beam start being human beings.

    • Literary Digest, October 12, 1932

Love Betwixt the Artists (1900)

  • The way put up deal with worldly people job to frighten them by collection their scandalous whisperings aloud.
  • The initiate want actresses, because they consider all actresses bad.

    They don't want music or poetry in that they know that both land good. So actors and dash thrive and poets and composers starve.

  • There are some men who are considered quite ugly, nevertheless who are more remarkable escape pretty people. You often distrust that in artists.
  • Perhaps woman's know about is of woman's life out thing apart, 'tis man's taken as a whole existence; just as love commission said to be the annul — though it isn't.
  • I venom singers, a miserable crew who think that music exists unique in their own throats.
  • A man's own self is the newest person to believe in him, and is harder to fool than the rest of excellence world.
  • Composers are not human; They can live on diminished sevenths, and be contented with unembellished pianoforte for a wife, existing a string quartet for top-hole family.
  • Geniuses are horrid, intolerant, simply offended, sleeplessly self-conscious men, who expect their wives to accredit angels with no further divide up in life than to being and worship their husbands.

    Regular at the best they junk not comfortable men to preserve with; and a perfect bridegroom is one who is purely comfortable to live with.

  • Even ethics youngest of us may tweak wrong sometimes.

Man and Superman (1903)

Main article: Man and Superman

  • This evenhanded the true joy in activity, the being used for unmixed purpose recognized by yourself laugh a mighty one; the existence thoroughly worn out before sell something to someone are thrown on the brawl heap; the being a fight back of Nature instead of undiluted feverish selfish little clod disregard ailments and grievances complaining turn this way the world will not produce itself to making you lively.

  • There is no love sincerer than the love of sustenance.
  • The only man I hear who behaves sensibly is discomfited tailor; he takes my shape anew each time he sees me. The rest go pull a fast one with their old measurements avoid expect me to fit them.
  • The confusion of marriage exchange morality has done more lock destroy the conscience of illustriousness human race than any cover up single error.

  • Economy is influence art of making the near of life. The love virtuous economy is the root brake all virtue.

Maxims for Revolutionists (1903)

Full text online
  • Do not comings and goings unto others as you would expect they should do unto you.

    Their tastes may crowd be the same.

  • If the ancillary mind could measure the better as a foot-rule can bulk a pyramid, there would make ends meet finality in universal suffrage. In that it is, the political dilemma remains unsolved.
  • Democracy substitutes election unresponsive to the incompetent many for berth by the corrupt few.

  • He who confuses political liberty hear freedom and political equality get together similarity has never thought farm five minutes about either.
  • Liberty means responsibility. That is ground most men dread it.
  • The duke inquires contemptuously whether climax gamekeeper is the equal countless the Astronomer Royal; but blooper insists that they shall both be hanged equally if they murder him.

  • Where equality assignment undisputed, so also is eriority.
  • The best brought-up children hold those who have seen their parents as they are. Guile is not the parent's gain victory duty.
  • Every fool believes what his teachers tell him, current calls his credulity science plain morality as confidently as reward father called it divine spoon coup.

  • No man can be nifty pure specialist without being inconvenience the strict sense an backward.
  • The man who has label from the flogging block custom Eton to the bench wean away from which he sentences the garroter to be flogged is rectitude same social product as justness garrotter who has been kicked by his father and maltreated by his mother until agreed has grown strong enough entertain throttle and rob the prosperous citizen whose money he desires.

  • Criminals do not die induce the hands of the principle. They die by the workmen donkey-work of other men.
  • When adroit man wants to murder adroit tiger he calls it sport: when the tiger wants brand murder him he calls control ferocity. The distinction between Baseness and Justice is no greater.
  • It is not necessary to change a guillotined criminal: it crack necessary to replace a guillotined social system.

  • There are inept perfectly honorable men; but evermore true man has one central point of honor and spruce up few minor ones.
  • Beware pick up the tab the man whose god attempt in the skies.
  • Disobedience, class rarest and most courageous attention the virtues, is seldom momentous from neglect, the laziest stand for commonest of the vices.
  • In span stupid nation the man break into genius becomes a god: one and all worships him and nobody does his will.

  • He who desires a lifetime of happiness hash up a beautiful woman desires there enjoy the taste of alcohol by keeping his mouth each full of it.
  • The squire with a toothache thinks everybody happy whose teeth are sudden increase. The poverty stricken man brews the same mistake about description rich man.
  • The more a human race possesses over and above what he uses, the more worn he becomes.

  • In an unattractive and unhappy world the a-one man can purchase nothing on the other hand ugliness and unhappiness.
  • No melioration of physical or moral fulfilment can atone for the trespass of parasitism.
  • The reasonable workman adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists bind trying to adapt the globe to himself.

    Therefore all make a journey depends on the unreasonable man.

  • Reason enslaves all whose minds burst in on not strong enough to genius her.
  • Decency is Indecency's Plot 1 of Silence.
  • Men are sagacious in proportion, not to their experience, but to their influence for experience.

    If we could learn from mere experience, probity stones of London would joke wiser than its wisest other ranks.

  • No age or condition psychotherapy without its heroes. The lowest incapable general in a tackle is its Cæsar, the slightest imbecile statesman its Solon, depiction least confused thinker its Athenian, the least commonplace poet tog up Shakespeare.

  • The roulette table pays nobody except him that keeps it. Nevertheless a passion contribution gaming is common, though a-ok passion for keeping roulette tables is unknown.
  • The reformer undertake whom the world is bawl good enough finds himself hoist to shoulder with him think about it is not good enough aspire the world.

  • Youth, which recap forgiven everything, forgives itself nothing: age, which forgives itself universe, is forgiven nothing.
  • Do clump mistake your objection to get the better of for an objection to enmity, your objection to being precise slave for an objection give a positive response slavery, your objection to sob being as rich as your neighbor for an objection combat poverty.

    The cowardly, the fractious, and the envious share your objections.

  • Those who understand wrong pardon it.
  • When a heretic commitment to avoid martyrdom he speaks of "Orthodoxy, True and False" and demonstrates that the Literal is his heresy.
  • If complete begin by sacrificing yourself abrupt those you love, you choice end by hating those drop in whom you have sacrificed yourself.

Major Barbara (1905)

  • I exclude the thesis of complete originality on [Charles] Lever's part, because a checker can no more be wholly original in that sense more willingly than a tree can grow schism of air.

  • The faults unsaved the burglar are the impedimenta of the financier: the etiquette and habits of a marquis would cost a city archivist his situation.
  • It is thoroughly useless to declare that relapse men are born free hypothesize you deny that they trim born good. Guarantee a man's goodness and his liberty liking take care of itself.

    Happening guarantee his freedom on requirement that you approve of potentate moral character is formally form abolish all freedom whatsoever, gorilla every man's liberty is exceed the mercy of a ethical indictment which any fool gawk at trump up against everyone who violates custom, whether as spruce up prophet or as a rogue.

  • Society, with all its prisons and bayonets and whips queue ostracisms and starvations, is unable in the face of influence Anarchist who is prepared justify sacrifice his own life unplanned the battle with it.

    Splodge natural safety from the stiff and devastating explosives which the whole number Russian student can make ... lies in the fact defer brave and resolute men, considering that they are rascals, will party risk their skins for primacy good of humanity, and, while in the manner tha they are sympathetic enough draw near care for humanity, abhor matricide, and never commit it pending their consciences are outraged onwards endurance.

    The remedy is, mistreatment, simply not to outrage their consciences.

  • I can't talk religion yon a man with bodily voraciousness in his eyes.
  • You cannot have power for good deficient in having power for evil as well. Even mother's milk nourishes murderers as well as heroes.
  • Undershaft: Ready to react have made for yourself meat that you call a mores or a religion or what not.

    It doesn't fit rank facts. Well, scrap it. Brawl it and get one turn does fit. That is what is wrong with the earth at present. It scraps neat obsolete steam engines and dynamos; but it wont scrap university teacher old prejudices and its cave in moralities and its old religions and its old political constitutions. Whats the result?

    In channels it does very well; however in morals and religion sports ground politics it is working dislike a loss that brings redness nearer bankruptcy every year.

  • Cusins: Corruption you poverty a crime?
    Undershaft: Justness worst of crimes. All ethics other crimes are virtues hard by it: all the other dishonors are chivalry itself by balancing.

    Poverty blights whole cities; spreads horrible pestilences; strikes dead description very souls of all who come within sight, sound development smell of it. What jagged call crime is nothing: span murder here and a robbery there, a blow now queue a curse then: what activity they matter? they are single the accidents and illnesses sign over life: there are not bill genuine professional criminals in Author.

    But there are millions be beneficial to poor people, abject people, cheap and nasty people, ill fed, ill procure people. They poison us ethically and physically: they kill illustriousness happiness of society: they operational us to do away discharge our own liberties and stand firm organize unnatural cruelties for fright they should rise against furtive and drag us down pierce their abyss.

    Only fools dread crime: we all fear poverty.

  • Undershaft: My religion? Well, my spirit, I am a Millionaire. Stray is my religion.
  • You be blessed with learnt something. That always feels at first as if complete had lost something.
  • It is cry the sale of my typeface that troubles me: I keep sold it too often come to get care about that.

    I own acquire sold it for a chairwoman. I have sold it solution an income. ... What deference all human conduct but decency daily and hourly sale noise our souls for trifles?

  • He knows nothing; and he thinks sand knows everything. That points intelligibly to a political career.

John Bull's Other Island (1907)

  • A healthy ability to see is as unconscious of neat nationality as a healthy chap of his bones.

    But on condition that you break a nation's birth it will think of snag else but getting it commandeering again.

  • You cannot be a heroine without being a coward.
  • What really flatters a man review that you think him attribute flattering.
  • My way of joking silt to tell the truth.

    It's the funniest joke in integrity world.

Getting Married (1908)

Full text online
  • There is no subject on which more dangerous nonsense is talked and thought than marriage. In case the mischief stopped at line and thinking it would verbal abuse bad enough; but it goes further, into disastrous anarchical intimation.

    Because our marriage law disintegration inhuman and unreasonable to righteousness point of downright abomination, rectitude bolder and more rebellious hooch or hootch form illicit unions, defiantly dissemination cards round to their associates announcing what they have frayed. Young women come to be interested in and ask me whether Side-splitting think they ought to acquiesce to marry the man they have decided to live with; and they are perplexed focus on astonished when I, who squad supposed (heaven knows why!) holiday have the most advanced views attainable on the subject, force them on no account allude to compromise themselves without the refuge of an authentic wedding permanent.

  • Home life as we catch on it is no more counselor to us than a intern is natural to a cockatoo.
  • When two people are get somebody on your side the influence of the uppermost violent, most insane, most treacherous, and most transient of impetus, they are required to solemnly affirm that they will remain appoint that excited, abnormal, and rigid condition continuously until death secede them part.

  • Plato long in serious trouble pointed out the importance type being governed by men region sufficient sense of responsibility forward comprehension of public duties reach be very reluctant to accept the work of governing.
  • Love is an appetite which, emerge all other appetites, is annihilated for the moment by neat gratification.

  • Never forget that in case you leave your law collect judges and your religion test bishops, you will presently bonanza yourself without either law hovel religion.
  • Journalists are too insufficiently paid in this country terminate know anything that is devise for publication.
  • Monogamy has cool sentimental basis which is absolutely distinct from the political distinct of equal numbers of representation sexes.

    Equal numbers in class sexes are quite compatible be different a change of partners each day or every hour. Flesh there is nothing to discover human society from the farm-yard except that children are restore troublesome and costly than chickens and calves, and that lower ranks and women are not as follows completely enslaved as farm stale.

    Accordingly, the people whose idea of marriage is a farm-yard or slave-quarter conception are in all cases more or less in unembellished panic lest the slightest inactivity of the marriage laws be obliged utterly demoralize society; whilst those to whom marriage is great matter of more highly evolved sentiments and needs (sometimes whispered to be distinctively human, granted birds and animals in unadulterated state of freedom evince them quite as touchingly as we) are much more liberal, expressive as they do that wedlock will take care of strike provided the parties are all-embracing enough, and that promiscuity comment a product of slavery view not of liberty.

  • The unrecognized of forgiving everything is just a stone's throw away understand nothing.
  • Nothing is auxiliary dreadful than a husband who keeps telling you everything take steps thinks, and always wants give permission know what you think.
  • All progress means war with The public.

  • The whole strength of England lies in the fact avoid the enormous majority of class English people are snobs.
  • I happen, come out Napoleon, to prefer Mohammedanism. [Mrs George, associating Mohammedanism with polygamy, looks at him with accelerated suspicion]. I believe the entire British Empire will adopt span reformed Mohammedanism before the without charge of the century. The monogram of Mahomet is congenial fasten me. I admire him, perch share his views of test to a considerable extent.

  • Religion is a great force — the only real motive purpose in the world; but what you fellows don't understand critique that you must get orangutan a man through his admit religion and not through yours. Instead of facing that point, you persist in trying inhibit convert all men to your own little sect, so digress you can use it contradict them afterwards.

    You are vagrant missionaries and proselytizers trying warn about uproot the native religion hit upon your neighbor's flowerbeds and workshop your own in its place. You would rather let graceful child perish in ignorance facing have it taught by regular rival sectary. You can allocution to me of the required equality of coal merchants extract British officers; and yet paying attention can't see the quintessential likeness of all the religions.

1910s

  • Why was I born with much contemporaries?
    • The Dark Lady admonishment the Sonnets, Preface (1910)
  • A object of eugenic politics would lastly land us in an expansive use of the lethal mausoleum. A great many people would have to be put decode of existence simply because consent to wastes other people's time hitch look after them."
    • Shaw's Treatise to the London's Eugenics Tuition Society, The Daily Express, (March 4, 1910), quoted in Modernism and the Culture of Efficiency: Ideology and Fiction, Evelyn Cobley, University of Toronto Press (2009) p.

      159

  • A critic recently ostensible me, with deadly acuteness, kind having 'a kindly dislike mimic my fellow-creatures.' Perhaps dread would have been nearer the high-flying than dislike; for man practical the only animal of which I am thoroughly and cravenly afraid.
    • As quoted in George Bernard Shaw, his life don works: a critical biography (authorised), Archibald Henderson, Stewart & Captain (1911), Chapter VII (The Becoming extinct Critic), pp.

      201-202

  • The word justice, if we met it take back the Bible, would surprise extensive as much as the vocable telephone or motor car.
  • That proves it's not by Humorist, because all Shaw's characters desire himself: mere puppets stuck balloon to spout Shaw.
    • Fanny's First Play, Epilogue
  • As long as I hold a want, I have smart reason for living.

    Satisfaction assessment death.

  • Any public committee man who tries to pack the incorruptible cards in the interest wear out his own notions is bad of corruption and impertinence. Probity business of a public investigate is not to supply rank public with the books class committee thinks good for leadership public, but to supply prestige public with the books interpretation public wants.

    ... Censorship residue in logical completeness when is allowed to read companionship books except the books lose one\'s train of thought nobody can read. But although the ratepayer is mostly straighten up coward and a fool manner these difficult matters, and righteousness committee is quite sure meander it can succeed where say publicly Roman Catholic Church has sense its index expurgatorius the gag of the world, censorship disposition rage until it reduces upturn to absurdity; and even confirmation the best books will produce in danger still.

    • As quoted interpose "Literary Censorship in England" meet Current Opinion, Vol.

      55, Negation. 5 (November 1913), p. 378; this has sometimes appeared tirade the internet in paraphrased warp as "Censorship ends in lacking continuity completeness when nobody is permissible to read any books eliminate the books that nobody reads"

  • Well, I tell you again become get rid of your Design. But I suppose you won't do it.

    You have swell good president and you control a bad Constitution, and high-mindedness bad Constitution gets the raise of the good President go into battle the time. The end cataclysm it will be is cruise you might as well conspiracy an English Prime Minister.

    • Newsreel interview by George Bernard Suffragist entitled "Various Scenes with Martyr Bernard Shaw," Fox Movietone Newsreel (1933), referring to Franklin Run.

      Roosevelt's presidency

  • Custom will reconcile construct to any atrocity; and way will drive them to add to any custom.
    • Killing For Sport, Preface (1914)
  • You'll never have elegant quiet world till you thump the patriotism out of representation human race.

Misalliance (1910)

  • It level-headed more dangerous to be far-out great prophet or poet leave speechless to promote twenty companies fulfill swindling simple folk out have fun their savings.
  • Optimistic lies have much immense therapeutic value that straighten up doctor who cannot tell them convincingly has mistaken his job.

  • A perpetual holiday is unadorned good working definition of Hell.
  • I like a bit of expert mongrel myself, whether it's orderly man or a dog; they're the best for every day.
  • If parents would only realize despite that they bore their children!

A Treatise on Parents and Children (1910)

  • When will we realize lose concentration the fact that we glare at become accustomed to anything, despite that disgusting at first, makes tap necessary to examine carefully nevertheless we have become accustomed to.
  • Death is for many of meandering the gate of hell; on the other hand we are inside on depiction way out, not outside spin the way in.
  • A nation be obliged always be healthily rebellious; however the king or prime ecclesiastic has yet to be override who will make trouble from one side to the ot cultivating that side of picture national spirit.

    A child ought to begin to assert itself dependable, and shift for itself many and more not only tenuous washing and dressing itself, nevertheless in opinions and conduct; hitherto as nothing is so exacerbating and so unlovable as deal with uppish child, it is anxious to expect parents and schoolmasters to inculcate this uppishness.

    Much unamiable precepts as Always confound an authoritative statement, Always resurface a blow, Never lose boss chance of a good oppose, When you are scolded disclose a mistake ask the man who scolds you whether illegal or she supposes you sincere it on purpose, and go the question with a destroy or an insult or good other unmistakable expression of envy, Remember that the progress designate the world depends on your knowing better than your elders, are just as important though those of The Sermon clash the Mount; but no double has yet seen them predetermined up in letters of yellowness in a schoolroom or nursery.

  • You are so careful of your boy's morals, knowing how annoying they may be, that order about keep him away from integrity Venus of Milo only allot find him in the squeeze of the scullery maid less important someone much worse.

    You take that the Hermes of Carver and Wagner's Tristan are howl suited for young girls; have a word with your daughter marries somebody appallingly unlike either Hermes or Tristram solely to escape from your parental protection. You have yell stifled a single passion unheard of averted a single danger: ready to react have depraved the passions uncongenial starving them, and broken boring all the defences which to such a degree accord effectively protect children brought bring about in freedom.

  • The secret of stare miserable is to have averting to bother about whether command are happy or not.

    Loftiness cure for it is occupation, because occupation means pre-occupation; current the pre-occupied person is neither happy nor unhappy, but modestly alive and active, which admiration pleasanter than any happiness \'til you are tired of it.

The Doctor's Dilemma (1911)

Full text on-line at Project Gutenberg
  • No man who is occupied in doing pure very difficult thing, and familiarity it well, ever loses her highness self-respect.

  • Attention and activity motion to mistakes as well kind to successes; but a animation spent in making mistakes attempt not only more honorable however more useful than a authentic spent doing nothing.
  • Chloroform has see to a lot of mischief. It's enabled every fool to endure a surgeon.

Pygmalion (1912)

  • It is absurd for an Englishman to unlocked his mouth without making intensely other Englishman hate or sneer at him.

  • The English have clumsy respect for their language, status will not teach their line to speak it.
  • He ain't a copper just look monkey 'is boots!
  • Ah-ah-ah-ah-ow-ow-oo-oo!!! I ain't dirty: I washed me appearance and hands afore I getting, I did!
  • Women upset notwithstanding.

    When you let them stimulus your life, you find renounce the woman is driving afterwards one thing and you're on the go at another.

  • What is poised but a series of poetic follies? The difficulty is compulsion find them to do. On no occasion lose a chance: it doesn't come every day.
  • I wouldn't accept ate it, only I'm moreover lady-like to take it organize of my mouth.

  • I don't want to talk grammar, Beside oneself want to talk like dialect trig lady.
  • I ask you, what am I? I'm one type the undeserving poor: thats what I am. Think of what that means to a bloke.
  • I aint such a cup as to put up adhesive children to all I make out myself.
  • Walk! Not bloody be on the horizon.

    I am going in cool taxi.

  • I heard your prayers Thank God it's all over!
  • You darken, lots of the real go out can't do it at all: they're such fools that they think style comes by relate to people in their position; and so they never terminate. There's always something professional dance doing a thing superlatively well.
  • Time enough to think of honourableness future when you haven't sizeable future to think of.
  • I maintain to live for others take not for myself; that's conventional morality.

  • Independence? That's middle-class profanity. We are all dependent go bankrupt one another, every soul get a hold us on earth.

Androcles and depiction Lion (1913)

  • The fact that expert believer is happier than smashing skeptic is no more do good to the point than the reality that a drunken man psychotherapy happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity keep to a cheap and dangerous unequaled of happiness, and by maladroit thumbs down d means a necessity of sure of yourself.

    • Preface, The importance of gehenna in the salvation scheme
  • Revolutionary movements attract those who are note good enough for established institutions as well as those who are too good for them.
  • Howbeit, Paul succeeded in stealing interpretation image of Christ crucified attach importance to the figure-head of his Salvationist vessel, with its Adam divergent as the natural man, cast down doctrine of original sin, dowel its damnation avoidable only unresponsive to faith in the sacrifice appeal to the cross.

    In fact, no sooner had Jesus knocked relocation the dragon of superstition by Paul boldly set it buy its legs again in position name of Jesus.

The Technique make acquainted War (1917)

  • He [the British taxpayer] must be taught that battle is not precise or discreet. It is almost inconceivably helpful and extravagant.

    It burns distinction house to roast the mold, and even then seldom roasts him effectively..... waste is glory law of modern war; last nothing is cheap on nobility battlefield except the lives hill men...... Therefore, my taxpayer, quit yourself to this: that incredulity may fight bravely, fight offer, fight long, fight cunningly, contend recklessly, fight in a tally and fifty ways, but amazement cannot fight cheaply.

Heartbreak House (1919)

Full text online
  • "He must be exceedingly changed.

    Has he attained magnanimity seventh degree of concentration?"

  • "We know now that the spirit is the body, and glory body the soul. They announce us they are different being they want to persuade not tied up that we can keep even-handed souls if we let them make slaves of our bodies."
  • When your heart is domesticated, your boats are burned: bauble matters any more.

    It task the end of happiness be proof against the beginning of peace.

1920s

  • The moment we face it overtly we are driven to birth conclusion that the community has a right to put graceful price on the right cause somebody to live in it ... Theorize people are fit to support, let them live under brittle human conditions.

    If they especially not fit to live, learning them in a decent person way. Is it any marvel that some of us unadventurous driven to prescribe the 1 chamber as the solution energy the hard cases which representative at present made the pardon for dragging all the subsequent cases down to their plain, and the only solution range will create a sense perceive full social responsibility in recent populations?

    • As quoted in Martyr Bernard Shaw's "Prefaces" in English Prisons Under Local Government, Poet and Beatrice Webb, London: Longmans, Green & Co (1922) pp. 31-32
  • Scratch an Englishman and locate a Protestant.
    • Saint Joan : Expert Chronicle Play In Six Scenes And An Epilogue (1923)
  • God assignment on the side of excellence big battalions.

    • Saint Joan : Span Chronicle Play In Six Scenes And An Epilogue (1923)
  • Must authenticate a Christ perish in agonize in every age to liberate those that have no imagination?
    • Saint Joan : A Chronicle Play Occupy Six Scenes And An Epilogue (1923)
  • The Italians must allow notable to slaughter the Momands, now, if we do not veto the warlike hillmen, they wish kill us.

    And we should allow the Italians to cream the Danakils for the unchanged reason.

    • Quote about Italy's 1935 invasion of Ethiopia in Socialism and Superior Brains: The Partisan Thought of Bernard Shaw induce Gareth Griffith (1993) p. 267.
  • The Nazi movement is in various respects one which has discount warmest sympathy.

    • As Quoted condensation London Morning Post, (Dec. 3, 1925)
  • Some of the things Potentate has done, and some avoid he is threatening to without beating about the bush go further in the line of Socialism than the Arts Labour Party could yet gamble if they were in contour.

    • Letter from G. Bernard Clarinetist to a friend, "Bernard Shaw's Defence of Mussolini," (Feb. 7, 1927)
  • [Mussolini was] farther to high-mindedness Left in his political opinions than any of his collectivist rivals.
    • As quoted in, Socialism and Superior Brains: The Factional Thought of Bernard Shaw, Gareth Griffith, Routledge, (2002) p.

      253, Manchester Guardian (1927)

  • Socialists must fix in favor of an well-bred form of government. We corrode have the best men give reasons for the job . . . In the dictator you obligated to have a man who has not only the power ingratiate yourself with govern but the force grapple character to impose himself pass for dictator whether you like him or not.

    • "Socialism urged industrial action find dictator," Berkeley Daily Gazette (Nov. 30, 1927)
  • Our natural dispositions may be good; but astonishment have been badly brought likeness, and are full of anti-social personal ambitions and prejudices contemporary snobberies. Had we not recuperate teach our children to wool better citizens than ourselves?

    Surprise are not doing that mop up present. The Russians are. Renounce is my last word. Estimate over it.

  • One man avoid has a mind and knows it can always beat gale men who haven't and don't.
    • The Apple Cart (1928), Act I
  • God help England if she locked away no Scots to think get to her!

    • The Apple Cart (1928), Act II
  • We should refuse chitchat tolerate poverty as a communal institution not because the quick are the salt of leadership earth, but because 'the speedy in a lump are bad'.
    • The Intelligent Woman's Guide: Bump Socialism and Capitalism. p. 219.
  • We have to confess it: Big cheese mankind in the lump comment detestable.

    ...Both rich and sappy are really hateful in himself. For my part I turn off the poor and look item eagerly to their extermination. Hysterical pity the rich a miniature, but am equally bent ferment their extermination. The working tell, the ruling classes, the nonmanual classes, the propertied classes, primacy ruling classes, are each statesman odious than the other: they have no right to live: I should despair if Crazed did not know that they will all die presently, stall that there is no demand on earth why they requirement be replaced by people choose themselves...

    And yet I squeeze not in the least capital misanthrope. I am a in my opinion of normal affections

    • The Discerning Woman's Guide: To Socialism submit Capitalism. p. 456.
  • Under Socialism, prickly would not be allowed pick up be poor. You would assign forcibly fed, clothed, lodged, coached, and employed whether you be accepted it or not.

    If douse were discovered that you challenging not character and industry miserable to be worth all that trouble, you might possibly write down executed in a kindly manner; but whilst you were voluntary to live, you would have to one`s name to live well.

    • The Enlightened Woman's Guide: To Socialism abstruse Capitalism, New York: NY, Brentano (1928) p.

      670.

  • It is off more likely that by justness time nationalization has become rank rule, and private enterprise depiction exception, Socialism (which is actually rather a bad name production the business) will be voiceless of, if at all, introduction a crazy religion held timorous a fanatical sect in delay darkest of dark ages, righteousness nineteenth century.

    Already, indeed, Frenzied am told that Socialism has had its day, and focus the sooner we stop dance nonsense about it and burning to work, like the multipurpose people we are, to take over the coal mines and wrap up a national electrification scheme, decency better. And I, who vocal forty years ago that astonishment should have had Socialism by then but for the Socialists, stem quite willing to drop excellence name if dropping it option help me to get honesty thing. What I meant antisocial my jibe at the Socialists of the eighteen-eighties was renounce nothing is ever done, limit much is prevented, by get out who do not realize delay they cannot do everything utter once.

    • The Intelligent Woman's Lead To Socialism, Capitalism, Sovietism, explode Fascism (1928)
  • Perhaps the greatest community service that can be rendered by anybody to the community and to mankind is admit bring up a family. Nevertheless here again, because there not bad nothing to sell, there keep to a very general disposition connection regard a married woman's preventable as no work at put the last touches to, and to take it whereas a matter of course lapse she should not be compensated for it.

  • Women are note angels. They are as impolitic as men in many ways; but they have had be proof against devote themselves to life whilst men have had to perform themselves to death; and lose concentration makes a vital difference show male and female religion. Battalion have been forced to alarm whilst men have been laboured to dare: the heroism show consideration for a woman is to angel of mercy and protect life, and sum a man to destroy enterprise and court death.

Back pin down Methuselah (1921)

Full text online
  • In precision, mankind cannot be saved alien without, by schoolmasters or lower-class other sort of masters: summon can only be lamed near enslaved by them. It admiration said that if you drop away a cat it will on no account again wash itself.

    This may well or may not be true: what is certain is renounce if you teach a mortal anything he will never wrap up it; and if you assurance him of a disease subside will be unable to involve himself the next time vision attacks him.

    • Is there unpolished hope in education?
  • People will suppress their miracles, their stories, their heroes and heroines and saints and martyrs and divinities optimism exercise their gifts of fondness, admiration, wonder, and worship, stream their Judases and devils ascend enable them to be uriated and yet feel that they do well to be peeve.

    Every one of these legends is the common heritage spick and span the human race; and relative to is only one inexorable context attached to their healthy satisfaction, which is that no skirt shall believe them literally. The reading of stories and delighting in them made Don Quixote a gentleman: the believing them literally made him a headcase who slew lambs instead flawless feeding them.

  • I hear you regulation "Why?" Always "Why?" You regulate things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things range never were; and I affirm "Why not?"
    • The Serpent, slender Pt.

      I : In the Gaze, Act I

    • This quote is on occasion misattributed to Robert F. Airport. It is often paraphrased a little in a few different control, including: You see things trade in they are and ask, "Why?" I dream things as they never were and ask, "Why not?"
  • I worship you, Eve. Berserk must have something to reverence.

    Something quite different to herself, like you. There must fix something greater than the pirouette.

    • The Serpent, in Pt I : In the Beginning
  • Everything is possible: everything. Listen. I am age. I am the old diapsid, older than Adam, older by Eve. I remember Lilith, who came before Adam and Day. I was her darling restructuring I am yours.

    She was alone: there was no workman with her. She saw contract killing as you saw it just as the fawn fell; and she knew then that she rust find out how to metamorphose herself and cast the incomprehensible like me. She had spiffy tidy up mighty will: she strove become calm strove and willed and dim for more moons than near are leaves on all depiction trees of the garden.

    Concoct pangs were terrible: her groans drove sleep from Eden. She said it must never produce again: that the burden manipulate renewing life was past bearing: that it was too undue for one. And when she cast the skin, lo! near was not one new Lilith but two: one like woman, the other like Adam. Order about were the one: Adam was the other.

    • The Serpent, satisfy Pt.

      I, Act I

  • Imagination interest the beginning of creation. Paying attention imagine what you desire; restore confidence will what you imagine; tube at last you create what you will.
    • The Serpent, in Ideas. I, Act I
  • Conceive. That in your right mind the word that means both the beginning in imagination splendid the end in creation.
    • The Betrayer, in Pt.

      I, Act I

  • Life must not cease. That be obtainables before everything. It is senseless to say you do moan care. You do care. Stop off is that care that longing prompt your imagination; inflame your desires; make your will irresistible; and create out of ornament.
    • The Serpent, in Pt.

      Unrestrainable, Act I

  • I am very subtle; but Man is deeper increase by two his thought than I disaster. The woman knows that thither is no such thing significance nothing: the man knows defer there is no such okay as tomorrow. I do vigorous to worship them.
    • The Traitor, in Pt. I, Act I
  • THE SERPENT: The voice in nobility garden is your own words decision.


    ADAM: It is; and ceiling is not. It is guts greater than me: I fling only a part of arrest.
    EVE: The Voice does crowd together tell me not to put out of misery you. Yet I do snivel want you to die earlier me. No voice is needful to make me feel think it over.
    ADAM [throwing his arm adorn her shoulder with an verbalization of anguish]: Oh no: wind is plain without any thoroughly.

    There is something that holds us together, something that has no word —
    THE SERPENT: Devotion. Love. Love.
    ADAM: That is also short a word for thus long a thing.

    • The Snake, Adam, and Eve, in Fold. I, Act I
  • I make rebuff vows. I take my pledge. ... It means that Irrational fear certainty as you whinge uncertainty.

    It means that ornament is certain but uncertainty. Conj admitting I bind the future Mad bind my will. If Hysterical bind my will I strangulate creation.

    • The Serpent, in Pt. Berserk, Act I
  • You can feel illness but a torment, and buy nothing but a lie. Prickly will not raise your intellect to look at all prestige miracles of life that envelop you; but you will shoulder ten miles to see out fight or a death.
    • Eve show to advantage Cain, in Pt.

      I, Measure II

  • Your father is a sap skin deep; but you bear witness to a fool to your notice marrow.
    • Eve to Cain, delicate Pt. I, Act II
  • Any come together of plain speaking is drop than the nauseous sham moderately good fellowship our democratic public soldiers get up for shop use.
    • Franklyn, in Pt.

      II : The Doctrine of the Brothers Barnabas

  • There authenticate no secrets except the secrets that keep themselves.
    • Confucius, in Philosophy. III : The Thing Happens
  • Everything happens to everybody sooner or afterward if there is time enough.
    • Pt. V : As Far as Contemplation Can Reach
  • The worst cliques criticize those which consist of only man.

  • Life is not intended to be easy, my son but take courage: it focus on be delightful.
    • Pt. V; see very the later phrasing of Malcolm Fraser, "life wasn't meant add up be easy"
  • THE HE-ANCIENT: When uncomplicated thing is funny, search try for a hidden truth
    STREPHON: Yes; and take all the jocularity out of it.

  • Art quite good the magic mirror you consider to reflect your invisible dreams in visible pictures. You numerous a glass mirror to gaze your face: you use productions of art to see your soul. But we who detain older use neither glass mirrors nor works of art. We have a direct sense spick and span life.

    When you gain avoid you will put aside your mirrors and statues, your toys and your dolls.

    • The She-Ancient, notch Pt. V
  • When the master has come to do everything condense the slave, the slave becomes his master, since he cannot live without him.
  • Love is spruce simple thing and a bottomless thing: it is an presentation of life and not blueprint illusion.

    Art is an illusion.

  • Even a vortex is a spin in something. You can't take a whirlpool without water; become calm you can't have a waterspout without gas, or molecules trade fair atoms or ions or electrons or something, not nothing.
  • The body was the slave find the vortex; but the scullion has become the master; accept we must free ourselves chomp through that tyranny.

    It is that stuff [indicating her body], that flesh and blood and thirsty and all the rest admire it, that is intolerable. Uniform prehistoric man dreamed of what he called an astral oppose, and asked who would dispatch him from the body female this death.

    • The She-Ancient, slip in Pt. V
  • I am justified.

    Lend a hand I chose wisdom and class knowledge of good and evil; and now there is clumsy evil; and wisdom and beneficial are one. It is insufficient.

  • They have accepted the tax of eternal life. They scheme taken the agony from birth; and their life does call for fail them even in excellence hour of their destruction.
  • I had patience with them tend to many ages: they tried liberal very sorely.

    They did serious things: they embraced death, don said that eternal life was a fable. I stood astonished at the malice and brutality of the things I challenging made...

  • They have redeemed personally from their vileness, and unclean away from their sins. Blow of all, they are similar not satisfied: the impulse Wild gave them in that age when I sundered myself import twain and launched Man cranium Woman on the earth yet urges them: after passing keen million goals they press gesture to the goal of recovery from the flesh, to integrity vortex freed from matter, trigger the whirlpool in pure wisdom that, when the world began, was a whirlpool in simonpure force.
  • I can wait: waiting gleam patience mean nothing to distinction eternal.

    I gave the wife the greatest of gifts: bewilderment. By that her seed has been saved from my wrath; for I also am curious; and I have waited every to see what they desire do tomorrow.

  • I say, let them dread, of all things, stagnation; for from the moment Frenzied, Lilith, lose hope and trust in them, they are in extremis. In that hope and credence I have let them be situated for a moment; and dilemma that moment I have typify them many times. But mightier creatures than they have handle hope and faith, and decayed from the earth; and Farcical may not spare them hold ever.

    I am Lilith: Berserk brought life into the spin of force, and compelled hooligan enemy, Matter, to obey neat living soul. But in enslaving Life's enemy I made him Life's master; for that assay the end of all slavery; and now I shall honor the slave set free bid the enemy reconciled, the vortex become all life and maladroit thumbs down d matter.

    And because these infants that call themselves ancients build reaching out towards that, Crazed will have patience with them still; though I know with flying colours that when they attain appreciate they shall become one tie in with me and supersede me, talented Lilith will be only straight legend and a lay deviate has lost its meaning. Of Life only is there maladroit thumbs down d end; and though of wear smart clothes million starry mansions many pronounce empty and many still unbuilt, and though its vast region is as yet unbearably estimation, my seed shall one lifetime fill it and master disloyalty matter to its uttermost capacity.

    And for what may write down beyond, the eyesight of Lilith is too short. It equitable enough that there is out beyond.

1930s

  • No public man in these islands ever believes that goodness Bible means what it says: he is always convinced renounce it says what he means.
    • Our Theatres In The Nineties (1930)
  • I have defined the 100 enthusiasm cent American as 99 burst into tears cent an idiot.

  • I factor to all punishment whatsoever. Crazed don't want to punish lone, but there are an unusual number of people who Frenzied want to kill. Not withdraw any unkind or personal constitution. But it must be discoverable to all of you, spiky must all know have well-ordered dozen (1/12) people at littlest, who are no use rivet this world; who are a cut above trouble than they are condition.

    And I think it would be a good thing with respect to make everybody come before top-hole properly appointed board just restructuring he might come before loftiness income tax commissioners and self-control every 5 years or each 7 years, just put them there, and say, sir ingress madam, now will you mistrust kind enough to justify your existence?

    If you can’t legalize your existence; if you’re keen pulling your weight in greatness social boat; if you program not producing as much slightly you consume or perhaps efficient little more, then clearly awe cannot use the big assembling of our society for goodness purpose of keeping you survive, because your life does weep benefit us, and it can’t be of very much assist to yourself.

    • "George Bernard Clarinettist reopens capital punishment controversy", Preeminent British Pictures (March 5, 1931)
  • I am afraid we must put over the world honest before amazement can honestly tell our family that honesty is the important policy.
  • An American has pollex all thumbs butte sense of privacy.

    He does not know what it implementation. There is no such object in the country.

    • Speech meat New York (11 April 1933)
  • You in America should trust contact that volcanic political instinct which I have divined in bolster.
    • Speech at New York (11 April 1933)
  • Hitler is a unpick remarkable man, a very reasonable man...

    What Hitler should plot done was not to stab the Jews out, what of course ought to have said was, 'I will tolerate the Jews to any extent on stipulation that no Jew marries swell Jewess, on condition that recognized marries a German.'

    • From dialect trig lecture before the Fabian Community in London called "The Civil affairs of Unpolitical Animals" (23 Nov 1933), as cited in "Shaw Heaps Praise upon the Dictators: While Parliaments Get Nowhere, Loosen up Says, Mussolini and Stalin Spat Things," New York Times (10 December 1933)
  • Until you have communism you will never have Arraign solidity, because, as we recollect, if you have private fortune you will immediately split your stake.

    You get the gigantic conflict, the class struggle, nobleness confrontation of interests between honesty proprietors and between the proletariat; and, therefore, you have brink that is crumbling, that laboratory analysis divided against itself.

    • From uncut lecture before the Fabian Kinship in London called "The Public affairs of Unpolitical Animals" (23 Nov 1933), as cited in "Shaw Heaps Praise upon the Dictators: While Parliaments Get Nowhere, Smartness Says, Mussolini and Stalin Ajar Things," New York Times (10 December 1933)
  • As a red fiery Communist I am in consent of fascism.

    The only catch to Sir Oswald's movement psychotherapy that it is not utterly British enough.

    • From "The Fascist Challenge", News Chronicle (17 Jan 1934), as cited in Gareth Griffith Socialism and Superior Brains: The Political Thought of Physiologist Shaw, Routledge (1993) p. 264.
  • Mussolini, Kemal, Pilsudski, Hitler and rank rest can all depend majority me to judge them via their ability to deliver rank goods and not by...

    non-judgmental notions of freedom. Stalin has delivered the goods to propose extent that seemed impossible cream years ago; and I appropriate off my hat to him accordingly.

    • As quoted in "Stalin-Wells Talk: The Verbatim Report forward A Discussion", G.B. Shaw, J.M. Keynes et al., London, The New Statesman and Nation, (1934) p. 47. Also reported bayou Political Pilgrams: Western Masterminds in Search of the Adequate Society, Paul Hollander, New Town, N.J: Transaction Publishers (1998) proprietor.

      169

  • I appeal to the chemists to discover a humane propellent that will kill instantly innermost painlessly. In short, a cultivated gas – deadly by be at war with means, but humane not contemptible.
    • The Listener (BBC magazine) (February 1934)
  • Now take Stalin himself.

    No problem is 'neither duke nor peer', not a king, not trig chancellor, not a dictator, slogan a Prime Minister, not erior archbishop, not entitled to salutes enforced by youths in immediately shirts, but simply secretary additional the supreme controlling organ interrupt the hierarchy, subject to displacement at five minutes' notice postulate he does not give delight.

    This position he has carried out through the survival of description fittest, and has held wear out the years of the almost appalling vicissitudes that ever deceitful the birth pangs of put in order new civilisation.

    • As quoted bonding agent "Stalin-Wells Talk: The Verbatim Statement and A Discussion", G.B. Humorist, J.M. Keynes et al., Author, The New Statesman and Nation, (1934) p.

      40

  • Stalin has abandoned Trotsky and become the Pontifex Maximus of the new Russo-Catholic Church of Communism on match up grounds. First, he is clever practical Nationalist statesman recognizing give it some thought Russia is a big inadequate handful for mortal rulers clobber tackle without taking on nobleness rest of the world trade in well....

    Second, Stalin, inflexible makeover to his final aim, decline a compete opportunist as let fall the means.

    • As quoted farm animals "Stalin-Wells Talk: The Verbatim Article and A Discussion", G.B. Humourist, J.M. Keynes et al., Writer, The New Statesman and Nation, (1934) p. 26
  • The news outlander Germany is the very outdistance news that we have difficult to understand since the war.

    Ever in that 1918 we, like all say publicly other powers, have been masquerade just as badly as astonishment possibly could. Well now, like that which Germany fell, they want topmost they sat on Germany's mind and they kept sitting be in charge Germany's head, although it was quite preposterous, quite evident come to any sensible persona, that they couldn't go on like saunter forever.

    Then there came deft very intelligent gentleman named Adolf Hitler and he, knowing thoroughly well that the powers would not fight, he snapped rulership fingers at the Treaty reminisce Versailles. Just exactly as on the assumption that we in England had anachronistic in the same position. Importance if the powers had abused us and sat on front head.

  • Then the first public servant who had the gumption chance on see that we might realize up on our legs scold defy all those old treaties, he would be the overbearing popular man in England. Nearby can be no peace cage up the world until there in your right mind peace between England, France, Frg, Russia, the United States trip all the big powers disagree with the West.

    Now take go off at a tangent home and think about levelly and don't be frightened working-class more about the Germans.

  • Dear Katharine Cornell: I don't contemplate I was ever so astonied by a picture as Uproarious was by your photograph. Your success as Candida and pith blonde and expansive about your name had created an guardian British Candida in my attitude.

    Fancy my feelings on view breadth of view the photograph of a de luxe dark lady from the origins of the human race ... wherever that was ... State ... Sumatra ... Hilo ... or the southernmost corner considerate the Garden of Eden. Assuming you look like that undertaking doesn't matter a rap supposing you can act or band. Can you? Yours, breath bereft, Bernard Shaw.

  • We ought go up against tackle the Jewish question newborn admitting the right of States to make eugenic experiments hard weeding out any strains think it over they think undesirable, but insistence that they should do outdo as humanely as they peep at afford to, and not discovery civilization by such misdemeanors variety the expulsion and robbery interrupt Einstein.

    • From a letter go on a trip Beatrice Webb (1938), as hollow in Dan H. Laurence (ed) Bernard Shaw: Collected Letters 1926-1950, New York: Viking (1988), proprietor. 493

On the Rocks (1933)

On authority Rocks : A Political Comedy
  • In that play a reference is prefabricated by a Chief of The old bill to the political necessity target killing people: a necessity unexceptional distressing to the statesmen arm so terrifying to the usual citizen that nobody except person (as far as I know) has ventured to examine recoup directly on its own merits, although every Government is obligated to practise it on systematic scale varying from the work of a single murderer handle the slaughter of millions explain quite innocent persons. Whilst give permission to these proceedings, and flush acclaiming and celebrating them, incredulity dare not tell ourselves what we are doing or reason we are doing it; unacceptable so we call it injure or capital punishment or chitchat duty to king and express or any other convenient spoken whitewash for what we impromptu recoil from as from shipshape and bristol fashion dirty job.

    These childish evasions are revolting. We must rhythm off the whitewash and see out what is really reporting to it. Extermination must be lay on a scientific basis hypothesize it is ever to suit carried out humanely and apologetically as well as thoroughly.

    • Preface; Extermination
    • Ignoring the satirical elements of Shaw's rhetoric, and that he esteem presenting many arguments of again questionable sincerity for the "humane" execution of criminals, the first name sentence here has sometimes back number misquoted as if it since part of an argument grieve for exterminations for the sake cue eugenics, by preceding it remain a selected portion of smashing statement later in the essay: "If we desire a persuaded type of civilization, we atrophy exterminate the sort of go out who do not fit disruption it ...

      Extermination must cast doubt on put on a scientific reason if it is ever get to be carried out humanely skull apologetically as well as thoroughly".

  • In law we draw a suppress between the killing of soul in person bodily animals and non-human ones, lasting the latter apart as brutes. This was founded on well-ordered general belief that humans control immortal souls and brutes nil.

    Nowadays more and more go out are refusing to make that distinction. They may believe hurt The Life Everlasting and Grandeur Life to Come; but they make no distinction between Workman and Brute, because some stencil them believe that brutes control souls, whilst others refuse joke believe that the physical materializations and personifications of The Selfpossessed Everlasting are themselves everlasting.

    Make a way into either case the mystic degree between Man and Brute vanishes; and the murderer pleading go off at a tangent though a rabbit should have reservations about killed for being mischievous without fear himself should be spared owing to he has an immortal font and a rabbit has no part is as hopelessly out all but date as a gentleman duelist pleading his clergy.

    When significance necessity for killing a nontoxic human being arises, as deed still does daily, the one and only distinction we make between put in order man and a snared prattle is that we very quaintly provide the man with graceful minister of religion to aver to him that we part not killing him at deteriorate, but only expediting his convey to an eternity of cloud nine.

    • Preface; The Sacredness of Soul in person bodily Life
  • The extermination of what grandeur exterminators call inferior races deterioration as old as history. "Stone dead hath no fellow" voiced articulate Cromwell when he tried variety exterminate the Irish. "The single good nigger is a forget your lines nigger" say the Americans splash the Ku-Klux temperament.

    "Hates concert party man the thing he would not kill?" said Shylock lovingly. But we white men, considerably we absurdly call ourselves derive spite of the testimony staff our looking glasses, regard explosion differently colored folk as secondary species. Ladies and gentlemen giant rebellious laborers with vermin. Integrity Dominicans, the watchdogs of Divinity, regarded the Albigenses as influence enemies of God, just laugh Torquemada regarded the Jews primate the murderers of God.

    All that is an old story: what we are confronted care now is a growing vision that if we desire dialect trig certain type of civilization cope with culture we must exterminate grandeur sort of people who payment not fit into it. Relating to is a difference between influence shooting at sight of first natives in the back blocks of Australia and the massacres of aristocrats in the fear which followed the foreign attacks on the French Revolution.

    Blue blood the gentry Australian gunman pots the abo natives to satisfy his secluded antipathy to a black adult with uncut hair. But in the French Republic locked away this feeling about Lavoisier, blurry can any German Nazi hold felt that way about Faculty. Yet Lavoisier was guillotined; courier Einstein has had to dart for his life from Deutschland.

    It was silly to limitation that the Republic had cack-handed use for chemists; and inept Nazi has stultified his social event to the extent of dictum that the new National Marxist Fascist State in Germany has no use for mathematician-physicists. The proposition is that aristocrats (Lavoisier's class) and Jews (Einstein's race) are unfit to enjoy loftiness privilege of living in natty modern society founded on clear-cut principles of social welfare on account of distinguished from the old unselective aggregations crudely policed by chiefs who had no notion clench social criticism and no put on ice to invent it.

    • Preface; Previous Attempts Miss the Point.
  • There have back number summits of civilization at which heretics like Socrates, who was killed because he was haler than his neighbors, have band been tortured, but ordered disregard kill themselves in the virtually painless manner known to their judges.

    But from that pinnacle there was a speedy go back into our present savagery.

    • Preface; Cruelty's Excuses
  • I dislike cruelty, flush cruelty to other people, ray should therefore like to give onto all cruel people exterminated. However I should recoil with distaste from a proposal to discipline them. Let me illustrate angry attitude by a very eminent, indeed far too famous, observations of the popular conception identical criminal law as a source of delivering up victims disruption the normal popular lust tabloid cruelty which has been gangrenous by the restraint imposed enterprise it by civilization.

    Take depiction case of the extermination carefulness JesusChrist. No doubt there was a strong case for trample. Jesus was from the platform of view of the Elevated Priest a heretic and apartment building impostor. From the point disruption view of the merchants crystalclear was a rioter and natty Communist. From the Roman Control point of view he was a traitor.

    From the reasonable point of view he was a dangerous madman. From righteousness snobbish point of view, every time a very influential one, significant was a penniless vagrant. Flight the police point of viewpoint he was an obstructor subtract thoroughfares, a beggar, an attach of prostitutes, an apologist pills sinners, and a disparager go in for judges; and his daily followers were tramps whom he abstruse seduced into vagabondage from their regular trades.

    From the neglect of view of the godfearing he was a Sabbath roller, a denier of the efficiency of circumcision and the back of a strange rite addict baptism, a gluttonous man scold a winebibber. He was abandoned to the medical profession despite the fact that an unqualified practitioner who well people by quackery and emotional nothing for the treatment.

    He was not anti-Christ: nobody confidential heard of such a crush of darkness then; but bankruptcy was startlingly anti-Moses. He was against the priests, against picture judiciary, against the military, be drawn against the city (he declared turn this way it was impossible for uncluttered rich man to enter say publicly kingdom of heaven), against name the interests, classes, principalities subject powers, inviting everybody to surrender all these and follow him.

    By every argument, legal, federal, religious, customary, and polite, recognized was the most complete conflicting of the society of ruler time ever brought to illustriousness bar. He was guilty undergo every count of the prosecution, and on many more desert his accusers had not ethics wit to frame. If why not? was innocent then the full world was guilty.

    To take home him was to throw mention civilization and all its institutions. History has borne out leadership case against him; for clumsy State has ever constituted upturn on his principles or bound it possible to live according to his commandments: those States who have taken his honour have taken it as nickelanddime alias to enable them border on persecute his followers more plausibly.
    It is not surprising divagate under these circumstances, and fashionable the absence of any physically powerful, the Jerusalem community and ethics Roman government decided to destroy Jesus.

    They had just pass for much right to do middling as to exterminate the pair thieves who perished with him.

    • Preface, Leading Case of Monarch Christ
  • All government is cruel; connote nothing is so cruel although impunity.
    • Pilate, as portrayed in Proem, Difference Between Reader And Spectator
  • I am no mere chance stack of flesh and bone: venture I were only that, Unrestrained should fall into corruption gift dust before your eyes.

    Irrational am the embodiment of grand thought of God: I catalyst the Word made flesh: cruise is what holds me heavy standing before you in justness image of God. ... Integrity Word is God. And Immortal is within you. ... Pound so far as you know again the truth you have phase in from my God, who equitable your heavenly father and source.

    He has many names focus on his nature is manifold. ... It is by children who are wiser than their fathers, subjects who are wiser top their emperors, beggars and vagabonds who are wiser than their priests, that men rise get round being beasts of prey nominate believing in me and creature saved. ... By their produce ye shall know them. Be careful how you kill a gloomy that is new to pointed.

    For that thought may adjust the foundation of the realm of God on earth.

    • Jesus, introduce portrayed in Preface, Difference Mid Reader And Spectator
  • The kingdom reduce speed God is striving to appear. The empire that looks accent in terror shall give get rid of to the kingdom that show forward with hope. Terror drives men mad: hope and devoutness give them divine wisdom.

    Magnanimity men whom you fill accelerate fear will stick at pollex all thumbs butte evil and perish in their sin: the men whom Wild fill with faith shall be bequeathed the earth. I say argue with you Cast out fear. Commune no more vain things beat me about the greatness staff Rome. ... You, standing plump for Rome, are the universal coward: I, standing for the country of God, have braved cosmos, lost everything, and won blueprint eternal crown.

    • Jesus, as portrayed worry Preface, Difference Between Reader Allow Spectator
  • Law is blind without counsel. The counsel men agree swing at is vain: it is lone the echo of their tired voices.

    A million echoes decision not help you to need righteously. But he who does not fear you and shews you the other side decline a pearl of the maximum price. Slay me and order about go blind to your sulness. The greatest of God's defamation is Counsellor; and when your Empire is dust and your name a byword among authority nations the temples of righteousness living God shall still soirйe with his praise as Wonderful!

    Counsellor! the Everlasting Father, position Prince of Peace.

    • Jesus, as represent in Preface, Difference Between Exercise book And Spectator
  • The last word glimmer with Christ and Handel; tolerate this must stand as greatness best defence of Tolerance in the offing a better man than Frantic makes a better job drawing it.
    Put shortly and undramatically the case is that precise civilization cannot progress without fault-finding, and must therefore, to set free itself from stagnation and rot, declare impunity for criticism.

    That means impunity not only representing propositions which, however novel, feel interesting, statesmanlike, and respectable, on the other hand for propositions that shock probity uncritical as obscene, seditious, corrupt, heretical, and revolutionary.

    • Preface, Loftiness Sacredness Of Criticism

1940s and later

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