„Wir denken wie wir denken hauptsächlich, weil andere so denken.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Notebooks, 1912
Zitate von Samuel Butler d.J.
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Samuel Butler d.J.
Geburtstag: 4. Dezember 1835
Todesdatum: 18. Juni 1902
Samuel Butler war ein britischer Schriftsteller, Komponist, Philologe, Maler und Gelehrter.
Zitate Samuel Butler d.J.
„Nicht Worte sollen wir lesen, sondern den Menschen, den wir hinter den Worten fühlen.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Notebooks
„Aller Fortschritt beruht auf dem allgemeinen inneren Wunsch eines jeden Organismus, über sein Einkommen hinaus zu leben.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Notebooks, 1912
„Für sich selbst ist jeder unsterblich; er mag wissen, dass er sterben muss, aber er kann nie wissen, dass er tot ist.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Notebooks, 1912
„Die Welt wird letztlich nur denen folgen, die sie verachten - und ihr dienen.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Notebooks
„Der beste Lügner ist der, der mit den wenigsten Lügen am längsten auskommt.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Der Weg allen Fleisches 1903, 39
„Ein Liebespaar ist wie Sonnenaufgang und -untergang; es gibt sie alle Tage, aber wir sehen sie selten.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Der Weg allen Fleisches, 1903, 11
„Freundschaft ist wie Geld, leichter gewonnen als erhalten.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Notebooks, 1912
„Alle Lebewesen außer dem Menschen wissen, dass der Hauptzweck des Lebens darin besteht, es zu genießen.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Der Weg allen Fleisches. Roman, postum 1903. Übersetzt und mit Anmerkungen versehen von Helmut Findeisen. dtv Klassik, München 1991, ISBN 3-423-02240-X, 19. Kapitel.
(Original en: "All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it." - The Way of All Flesh", Wikisource, chapter 19.
„Es ist viel sicherer, zu wenig als zu viel zu wissen.“
— Samuel Butler d.J.
Ohne Quellenangabe, Der Weg allen Fleisches, 1903, 5
„Everything matters more than we think it does, and, at the same time, nothing matters so much as we think it does.“
— Samuel Butler
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1912), Part XIV - Higgledy-Piggledy, Context: Everything matters more than we think it does, and, at the same time, nothing matters so much as we think it does. The merest spark may set all Europe in a blaze, but though all Europe be set in a blaze twenty times over, the world will wag itself right again.
Sparks
„An idea must not be condemned for being a little shy and incoherent; all new ideas are shy when introduced first among our old ones.“
— Samuel Butler
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1912), Part XIV - Higgledy-Piggledy, Context: An idea must not be condemned for being a little shy and incoherent; all new ideas are shy when introduced first among our old ones. We should have patience and see whether the incoherency is likely to wear off or to wear on, in which latter case the sooner we get rid of them the better.
Incoherency of New Ideas
„Sensible painting, like sensible law, sensible writing, or sensible anything else, consists as much in knowing what to omit as what to insist upon.“
— Samuel Butler
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1912), Part IX - A Painter's Views on Painting, Context: One reason why it is as well not to give very much detail is that, no matter how much is given, the eye will always want more; it will know very well that it is not being paid in full. On the other hand, no matter how little one gives, the eye will generally compromise by wanting only a little more. In either case the eye will want more, so one may as well stop sooner or later. Sensible painting, like sensible law, sensible writing, or sensible anything else, consists as much in knowing what to omit as what to insist upon.
Detail
„Propositions prey upon and are grounded upon one another just like living forms.“
— Samuel Butler
Ramblings In Cheapside (1890), Context: Propositions prey upon and are grounded upon one another just like living forms. They support one another as plants and animals do; they are based ultimately on credit, or faith, rather than the cash of irrefragable conviction. The whole universe is carried on on the credit system, and if the mutual confidence on which it is based were to collapse, it must itself collapse immediately. Just or unjust, it lives by faith; it is based on vague and impalpable opinion that by some inscrutable process passes into will and action, and is made manifest in matter and in flesh; it is meteoric — suspended in mid-air; it is the baseless fabric of a vision to vast, so vivid, and so gorgeous that no base can seem more broad than such stupendous baselessness, and yet any man can bring it about his ears by being over-curious; when faith fails, a system based on faith fails also.
„If I were to start as a God or a prophet I think I should take the line: "Thou shalt not believe in me. Thou shalt not have me for a God.“
— Samuel Butler
Context: It is the manner of gods and prophets to begin: "Thou shalt have none other God or Prophet but me." If I were to start as a God or a prophet I think I should take the line: "Thou shalt not believe in me. Thou shalt not have me for a God. Thou shalt worship any d_____d thing thou likest except me." This should be my first and great commandment, and my second should be like unto it.
Samuel Butler's Notebooks (1912) self censored "d_____d" in original publication
„I do not like having to try to make myself like things; I like things that make me like them at once and no trying at all.“
— Samuel Butler
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1912), Part XIII - Unprofessional Sermons, Context: I should like to like Schumann’s music better than I do; I dare say I could make myself like it better if I tried; but I do not like having to try to make myself like things; I like things that make me like them at once and no trying at all.
On Knowing what Gives us Pleasure, ii
„Genius…has been defined as a supreme capacity for taking trouble…It might be more fitly described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds and keeping them therein so long as the genius remains.“
— Samuel Butler
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1912), Part XI - Cash and Credit, Genius, i
