Quote collection
141 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Slogans are apt to petrify man's thinking ... every slogan, every word almost, that is used by the socialist, the communist, the capitalist. People hardly think nowadays. They throwT words at each other."
"Theoretical approaches have their place and are, I suppose, essential but a theory must be tempered with reality."
"I am getting old and the sign of old age is that I begin to philosophize and ponder over problems which should not be my concern at all."
"If the world suffers from mental deterioration or from moral degradation, then something goes wrong at the very root of civilization or culture. Even though that civilization may drag out for a considerable period, it grows less and less vital and ultimately tumbles down."
"It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of human ity."
"If in the modern world wars have unfortunately to be fought (and they do, it seems) then they must be stopped at the first possible moment, otherwise they corrupt us, they create new problems and make our future even more uncertain. That is more than morality; it's sense."
"It is always more difficult to fight one's own failings than the power of an adversary."
"I have always thought that the best way to find out what is right and what is not right, what should be done and what should not be done, is not to give a sermon, but to talk and discuss, and out of discussion sometimes a little bit of truth comes out."
"Its [Communism's] unfortunate association with violence encourages a certain evil tendency in human beings."
"It is the habit of every aggressor nation to claim that it is acting on the defensive."
"It is better to understand a part of truth and apply it to our lives than to understand nothing at all and flounder helplessly in a vain attempt to pierce the mystery of existence."
"We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?"
"It is dangerous and harmful to be guided in our life's course by hatreds and aversions, for they are wasteful of energy and limit and twist the mind and prevent it from perceiving the truth."
"Only a prisoner who has been confined for long behind high walk can appreciate the extraordinary psychological value of these outside walks and open views."
"Those who boast are seldom the great."
"Please remember that law and sense are not always the same."
"When the present is full of gloom, the past becomes haven of refuge that provides relief and inspiration."
"What the mysterious is I do not know. I do not call it God because God has come to mean much that I do not believe in. I find myself incapable of thinking of a deity or of any unknown supreme power in anthropomorphic terms, and the fact that many people think so is continually a source of surprise to me. Any idea of a personal God seems very odd to me."
"What is history, indeed, but a record of change?"
"I wish that more and more adventurous young men would give up the gun in favour of the camera."