Benjamin Disraeli Quotes
"London is a roost for every bird."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: London)
"My objection to Liberalism is this that it is the introduction into the practical business of life of the highest kind namely, politics of philosophical ideas instead of political principles."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Business, Life, Politics, Ideas, Liberalism, Principles)
"Never complain and never explain."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Truth, Feeling)
"Nature, like man, sometimes weeps from gladness."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Nature, Man)
"Nationality is the miracle of political independence; race is the principle of physical analogy."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Independence, Nationality, Race)
"Never take anything for granted."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"Moderation is the center wherein all philosophies, both human and divine, meet."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Moderation)
"Moderation has been called a virtue to limit the ambition of great men, and to console undistinguished people for their want of fortune and their lack of merit."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Men, People, Virtue, Ambition, Fortune, Merit, Moderation, Want)
"Mediocrity can talk, but it is for genius to observe."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Genius, Mediocrity, Talk)
"Man is only great when he acts from passion."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Man, Passion)
"Man is made to adore and to obey: but if you will not command him, if you give him nothing to worship, he will fashion his own divinities, and find a chieftain in his own passions."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Fashion, Man, Nothing, Will, Worship)
"Nine-tenths of the existing books are nonsense and the clever books are the refutation of that nonsense."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Books, Nonsense)
"Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: People, Fear, Word)
"Man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creatures of men. We are free agents, and man is more powerful than matter."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Men, Circumstances, Man)
"Real politics are the possession and distribution of power."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Politics, Power, Possession)
"That fatal drollery called a representative government."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Government)
"Teach us that wealth is not elegance, that profusion is not magnificence, that splendor is not beauty."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Beauty, Wealth, Elegance, Magnificence)
"Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Man, Talk, Will)
"In a progressive country change is constant; change is inevitable."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Change, Country)
"Success is the child of audacity."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Success)
"London is a modern Babylon."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: London)
"Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Men, Truth)
"Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much, are the three pillars of learning."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Learning, Suffering)
"No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Government, Opposition)
"Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Biography, Nothing, Theory)
"Power has only one duty - to secure the social welfare of the People."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Power, People, Duty, Welfare)
"One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Success, Opportunity, Man)
"Nowadays, manners are easy and life is hard."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Manners)
"Nobody is forgotten when it is convenient to remember him."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"No man is regular in his attendance at the House of Commons until he is married."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Man)
"Silence is the mother of truth."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Mother, Truth, Silence)
"Genius, when young, is divine."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Genius)
"I have brought myself, by long meditation, to the conviction that a human being with a settled purpose must accomplish it, and that nothing can resist a will which will stake even existence upon its fulfillment."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Purpose, Being, Conviction, Existence, Fulfillment, Meditation, Nothing, Will)
"I have been ever of opinion that revolutions are not to be evaded."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Opinion)
"I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Hope)
"How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"He was distinguished for ignorance; for he had only one idea, and that was wrong."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Idea, Ignorance, Wrong)
"Increased means and increased leisure are the two civilizers of man."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Leisure, Man)
"Great countries are those that produce great people."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: People, Countries)
"I repeat... that all power is a trust; that we are accountable for its exercise; that from the people and for the people all springs, and all must exist."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Power, People, Trust, Exercise)
"Frank and explicit - that is the right line to take when you wish to conceal your own mind and confuse the minds of others."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Mind, Right)
"Finality is not the language of politics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Politics, Language)
"Fear makes us feel our humanity."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Fear, Humanity)
"Fame and power are the objects of all men. Even their partial fruition is gained by very few; and that, too, at the expense of social pleasure, health, conscience, life."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Power, Health, Men, Conscience, Fame, Pleasure)
"Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Experience, Thought, Action)
"Everyone likes flattery; and when you come to Royalty you should lay it on with a trowel."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Flattery, Royalty)
"Grief is the agony of an instant. The indulgence of grief the blunder of a life."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Grief)
"The best security for civilization is the dwelling, and upon properly appointed and becoming dwellings depends, more than anything else, the improvement of mankind."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Civilization, Improvement, Mankind, Security)
"Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Frankness, Man)
"Let the fear of a danger be a spur to prevent it; he that fears not, gives advantage to the danger."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Fear, Danger)
"King Louis Philippe once said to me that he attributed the great success of the British nation in political life to their talking politics after dinner."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Politics, Success, Nation, Talking)
"Justice is truth in action."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Truth, Action, Justice)
"It is much easier to be critical than to be correct."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?"
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Leader, People)
"It destroys one's nerves to be amiable every day to the same human being."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Being, Day, Nerves)
"I never deny. I never contradict. I sometimes forget."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Forget)
"In politics nothing is contemptible."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Politics, Nothing)
"Plagiarists, at least, have the merit of preservation."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Merit)
"If you're not very clever you should be conciliatory."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"If a man be gloomy let him keep to himself. No one has the right to go croaking about society, or what is worse, looking as if he stifled grief."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Society, Grief, Man, Right)
"I say that justice is truth in action."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Truth, Action, Justice)
"Little things affect little minds."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"It is easier to be critical than correct."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"We moralize among ruins."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"There is no index of character so sure as the voice."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Character, Voice)
"There is no waste of time in life like that of making explanations."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Time, Explanations, Waste)
"Things must be done by parties, not by persons using parties as tools."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Tools)
"Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Success, People, Failure, Perseverance)
"Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Time, Truth)
"To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Knowledge, Facts)
"To supervise people, you must either surpass them in their accomplishments or despise them."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: People, Accomplishments)
"To tax the community for the advantage of a class is not protection: it is plunder."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Class, Community, Tax)
"Travel teaches toleration."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Travel)
"Two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other's habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets. The rich and the poor."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Sympathy, Feelings, Thoughts, Habits, Nations, Poor)
"Upon the education of the people of this country the fate of this country depends."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Education, People, Country, Fate)
"War is never a solution; it is an aggravation."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: War, Solution)
"We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Love, End, Existence)
"There is no greater index of character so sure as the voice."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Character, Voice)
"William Gladstone has not a single redeeming defect."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"Youth is the trustee of prosperity."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Prosperity, Youth)
"Youth is a blunder; Manhood a struggle, Old Age a regret."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Age, Old, Regret, Struggle, Youth)
"Nurture your minds with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Thoughts, Heroes)
"You can tell the strength of a nation by the women behind its men."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Men, Women, Strength, Nation)
"The choicest pleasures of life lie within the ring of moderation."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Lie, Moderation)
"We cannot learn men from books."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Men, Books)
"Without publicity there can be no public support, and without public support every nation must decay."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Nation, Public, Publicity, Support)
"We live in an age when to be young and to be indifferent can be no longer synonymous. We must prepare for the coming hour. The claims of the Future are represented by suffering millions; and the Youth of a Nation are the trustees of Posterity."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Age, Future, Nation, Posterity, Suffering, Youth)
"Where knowledge ends, religion begins."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Religion, Knowledge)
"When a man fell into his anecdotage it was a sign for him to retire from the world."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Man, World)
"What we anticipate seldom occurs: but what we least expect generally happens."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"What is earnest is not always true; on the contrary, error is often more earnest than truth."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Truth, Error)
"We should never lose an occasion. Opportunity is more powerful even than conquerors and prophets."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Opportunity)
"Worry - a God, invisible but omnipotent. It steals the bloom from the cheek and lightness from the pulse; it takes away the appetite, and turns the hair gray."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: God, Appetite, Hair, Worry)
"Without tact you can learn nothing."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Nothing, Tact)
"The more extensive a man's knowledge of what has been done, the greater will be his power of knowing what to do."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Power, Knowledge, Man, Will)
"You will find as you grow older that courage is the rarest of all qualities to be found in public life."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Courage, Public, Will)
"There is no gambling like politics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Politics, Gambling)
"The difference between a misfortune and a calamity is this: If Gladstone fell into the Thames, it would be a misfortune. But if someone dragged him out again, that would be a calamity."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Calamity, Difference, Misfortune)
"The first magic of love is our ignorance that it can ever end."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Love, End, First, Ignorance, Magic)
"The fool wonders, the wise man asks."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Fool, Man, Wonders)
"The governments of the present day have to deal not merely with other governments, with emperors, kings and ministers, but also with the secret societies which have everywhere their unscrupulous agents, and can at the last moment upset all the governments' plans."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Day, Kings, Present)
"The health of the people is really the foundation upon which all their happiness and all their powers as a state depend."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Happiness, Health, People, State)
"The more you are talked about the less powerful you are."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"The people of England are the most enthusiastic in the world."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: People, England, World)
"The practice of politics in the East may be defined by one word: dissimulation."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Politics, May, Practice)
"The pursuit of science leads only to the insoluble."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Science, Pursuit)
"The right honourable gentleman caught the Whigs bathing, and walked away with their clothes. He has left them in the full enjoyment of their liberal positions, and he is himself a strict conservative of their garments."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Clothes, Conservative, Enjoyment, Gentleman, Liberal, Right)
"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Success, Opportunity, Man)
"The Youth of a Nation are the trustees of posterity."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Nation, Posterity, Youth)
"There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not capable; for in politics there is no honour."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Politics, Act, Party, Treachery)
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"There is no education like adversity."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Education, Adversity)
"The secret of success is constancy to purpose."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Success, Purpose, Constancy)
"There is moderation even in excess."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Excess, Moderation)
"There can be economy only where there is efficiency."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Economy, Efficiency)
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Lies, Statistics)
"The world is weary of statesmen whom democracy has degraded into politicians."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Democracy, Politicians, World)
"The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: World)
"The wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages are perpetuated by quotations."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Experience, Wisdom, Quotations)
"The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world; it is more, it is the history of earth and of heaven."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: History, Earth, Heaven, World)
"The very phrase 'foreign affairs' makes an Englishman convinced that I am about to treat of subjects with which he has no concern."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Concern)
"The services in wartime are fit only for desperadoes, but in peace are only fit for fools."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Peace, Fools)
"The secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity comes."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Success, Opportunity)
"A Conservative Government is an organized hypocrisy."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Government, Conservative, Hypocrisy)
"Almost everything that is great has been done by youth."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Youth)
"Adventures are to the adventurous."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"A University should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Learning, Liberty, Light, University)
"A man may speak very well in the House of Commons, and fail very completely in the House of Lords. There are two distinct styles requisite: I intend, in the course of my career, if I have time, to give a specimen of both."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Time, Career, Man, May)
"A majority is always better than the best repartee."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Majority)
"An author who speaks about their own books is almost as bad as a mother who speaks about her own children."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Mother, Books, Children)
"A consistent soul believes in destiny, a capricious one in chance."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Soul, Chance, Destiny)
"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Happiness, Action, May)
"A great city, whose image dwells in the memory of man, is the type of some great idea. Rome represents conquest; Faith hovers over the towers of Jerusalem; and Athens embodies the pre-eminent quality of the antique world, Art."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Art, Faith, Quality, Idea, Athens, Conquest, Man, Memory, Rome, World)
"Despair is the conclusion of fools."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Despair, Fools)
"Every production of genius must be the production of enthusiasm."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Genius, Enthusiasm, Production)
"Every man has a right to be conceited until he is successful."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Successful, Man, Right)
"Duty cannot exist without faith."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Faith, Duty)
"A precedent embalms a principle."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"Desperation is sometimes as powerful an inspirer as genius."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Genius, Desperation)
"As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Life, Successful, Information, Man)
"Damn your principles! Stick to your party."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Party)
"Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Courage, Fire)
"Conservatism discards Prescription, shrinks from Principle, disavows Progress; having rejected all respect for antiquity, it offers no redress for the present, and makes no preparation for the future."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Progress, Conservatism, Future, Preparation, Present, Respect)
"Assassination has never changed the history of the world."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: History, Assassination, World)
"Diligence is the mother of good fortune."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Mother, Diligence, Fortune)
"Colonies do not cease to be colonies because they are independent."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"As for our majority... one is enough."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Majority)
"Be amusing: never tell unkind stories; above all, never tell long ones."
- Benjamin Disraeli
"Beware of endeavoring to become a great man in a hurry. One such attempt in ten thousand may succeed. These are fearful odds."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Man, May, Succeed)
"Change is inevitable. Change is constant."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Change)
"Characters do not change. Opinions alter, but characters are only developed."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Change, Opinions)
"Circumstances are beyond human control, but our conduct is in our own power."
- Benjamin Disraeli
(Related: Power, Control, Circumstances)