“Don't you believe people when they tell you that people sought for a sign, and believed in miracles because they were ignorant. They did it because they were wise, filthily, vilely wise—too wise to eat or sleep or put on their boots with patience.”

— G. K. Chesterton, book The Napoleon of Notting Hill

The Napoleon of Notting Hill (1904)
The Napoleon of Notting Hill (1904)

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 "Don't you believe people when they tell you that people sought for a sign, and believed in miracles because they were i…" by G. K. Chesterton?

G. K. Chesterton229

English mystery novelist and Christian apologist 1874–1936

Related quotes

“At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.”

W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British playwright, novelist, short story writer

Unidentified page
A Writer's Notebook (1946)

“I was born wise. Street-wise, people-wise, self-wise. This wisdom was my birthright. I was also born old. And illegitimate. But the two big advantages I had at birth were to have been born wise and to have been born in poverty.”

Sophia Loren (1934) Italian actress

Quoted by A. E. Hotchner in Sophia, Living and Loving: Her Own Story (1979), p. 9 http://books.google.com/books?id=IBBbPUCmiNUC&q=%22I+was+born+wise+Street-wise+people-wise+self-wise+This+wisdom+was+my+birthright+I+was+also+born+old+And+illegitimate+But+the+two+big+advantages+I+had+at+birth+were+to+have+been+born+wise+and+to+have+been+born+in+poverty%22&pg=PA9#v=onepage

“Mills: Even the people themselves who were perpetrating that violence, did they think that was wise? Was that a wise reasoned action?
Souljah: Yeah, it was wise. I mean, if black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?… White people, this government and that mayor were well aware of the fact that black people were dying every day in Los Angeles under gang violence. So if you're a gang member and you would normally be killing somebody, why not kill a white person? Do you think that somebody thinks that white people are better, are above and beyond dying, when they would kill their own kind?”

Sister Souljah (1964) American hip hop-generation author, activist, recording artist, and film producer

Regarding black-on-white violence in the Los Angeles riots, quoted in David Mills (16 June 1992) "In Her Own Disputed Words; Transcript of Interview That Spawned Souljah's Story" The Washington Post

“It is not wise to think of people as either friends or enemies as if you were the center of the universe; many are not aware of your existence!”

Salman al-Ouda (1956) journalist

My Enemies, I Thank You (كتاب شكرا أيها الأعداء)

“Listen to anyone in the street and he’ll tell you what to do. Our people are wise.”

Vasyl Slipak (1974–2016) Ukrainian opera singer

Ukrainian opera singer Vasyl Slipak killed by sniper // The Washington Post. — 2016. — July 2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/07/01/famous-ukrainian-opera-singer-vasyl-slipak-killed-by-sniper-in-eastern-ukraine/

“I was wise enough never to grow up, while fooling people into believing I had.”

Margaret Mead (1901–1978) American anthropologist

“Believe me, wise men don't say ‘I shall live to do that’, tomorrow's life is too late; live today.”
Non est, crede mihi, sapientis dicere ‘Vivam’: Sera nimis vita est crastina: vive hodie.

Martial book Epigrammata

I, 15.
Variant translations:
'I'll live to-morrow', 'tis not wise to say:
'Twill be too late to-morrow—live to-day.
Tomorrow will I live, the fool does say;
Today itself's too late; the wise lived yesterday.
Epigrams (c. 80 – 104 AD)