“When they have no explanation to offer, they give short dignified replies, disdainful of the ignorance of the multitude.”

— G. K. Chesterton

"Doubts About Darwinism", in The Illustrated London News (17 July 1920)
Context: And I will add this point of merely personal experience of humanity: when men have a real explanation they explain it, eagerly and copiously and in common speech, as Huxley freely gave it when he thought he had it. When they have no explanation to offer, they give short dignified replies, disdainful of the ignorance of the multitude.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "When they have no explanation to offer, they give short dignified replies, disdainful of the ignorance of the multitude." by G. K. Chesterton?

G. K. Chesterton 229

English mystery novelist and Christian apologist 1874–1936

Related quotes

“Oh, God," I said.
"No, it's Dexter," he replied, offering me his hand, which I ignored.
He glanced behind him, then back at me. "I'll see you soon," he said, and grinned at
me.
"Like hell," I replied”

Sarah Dessen book This Lullaby

Source: This Lullaby

“One of the serious results of propaganda is that it has caused the public to think that education and propaganda are the same thing, and thus to make an ignorant multitude believe it is being educated when it is only being manipulated. Education aims at independence of judgement. Propaganda offers ready-made opinions for the unthinking herd.”

Everett Dean Martin (1880–1941)

Source: Are We Victims of Propaganda, Our Invisible Masters: A Debate with Edward Bernays (1929), p. 145

“Darwin's reply: I freely acknowledge that Mr. Matthew has anticipated by many years the explanation which I have offered of the origin of species, under the name of natural selection. I think that no one will feel surprised that neither I, nor apparently any other naturalist, has heard of Mr. Matthew's views, considering how briefly they are given, and that they appeared in the Appendix to a work on Naval Timber and Arboriculture. I can do no more than offer my apologies to Mr. Matthew for my entire ignorance of his publication.”

Patrick Matthew (1790–1874) British scientist

Gardeners' Chronicle

“Ignorance plays the chief part among men, and the multitude of words.”

Diogenes Laërtius (180–240) biographer of ancient Greek philosophers

Cleobulus, 4.
The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (c. 200 A.D.), Book 1: The Seven Sages

“Science and Religion both fail to give a reasonable reply. Science does not pretend to be able to give the solution, saying that the examination of things as they are is enough of a task; religion offers an explanation both illogical and unmeaning and acceptable but to the bigot, as it requires us to consider the whole of Nature as a mystery and to seek for the meaning and purpose of life with all its sorrow in the pleasure of a God who cannot be found out. The educated and enquiring mind knows that dogmatic religion can only give an answer invented by man while it pretends to be from God.”

William Quan Judge (1851–1896) American occult writer

The Ocean of Theosophy by William Q. Judge (1893), Chapter 8, Of Reincarnation

“You sought to prove how I could love,
And my disdain is my reply.
The lion on your old stone gates
Is not more cold to you than I.”

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Lady Clara Vere de Vere

Stanza 3
Lady Clara Vere de Vere (1832)

“Guard yourself against accusations, even if they are false; for the multitude are ignorant of the truth and look only to reputation.”

Isocrates (-436–-338 BC) ancient greek rhetorician

Verse 17.
To Demonicus
Context: Guard yourself against accusations, even if they are false; for the multitude are ignorant of the truth and look only to reputation. In all things resolve to act as though the whole world would see what you do; for even if you conceal your deeds for the moment, later you will be found out. But most of all will you have the respect of men, if you are seen to avoid doing things which you would blame others for doing.

“I won’t bother to offer explanations because the media is determined to distort all I say.”

Narendra Modi (1950) Prime Minister of India

quoted in Madhu Purnima Kishwar: Modi, Muslims and Media. Voices from Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, Manushi Publications, Delhi 2014.
2014

“Giving offers us the opportunity to reshape our destiny. When you give, you are reshaping your destiny.”

T. B. Joshua (1963) Nigerian Christian leader

On the virtues of giving - "Hope Awakens For Forsaken" http://www.modernghana.com/news/237288/1/hope-awakens-for-forsaken.html Modern Ghana (September 9 2009)

“Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile,
The short and simple annals of the poor.”

Thomas Gray (1716–1771) English poet, historian

St. 8
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard http://www.thomasgray.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?text=elcc (written 1750, publ. 1751)

“When they have no explanation to offer, they give short dignified replies, disdainful of the ignorance of the multitude.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

G. K. Chesterton 229

Related quotes

Related topics