Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Quotes

• History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.

• Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.

• I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.

• A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

• I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colours. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.

• When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.

• We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

• One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.

• It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.

• Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.

• Never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room.

• Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.

• A love of tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril; but the new view must come, the world must roll forward.

• We shall show mercy, but we shall not ask for it.

• We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job.

• For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else.

• Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.

• The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.

• To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day.

• The power of man has grown in every sphere, except over himself.