Aphorisms Galore!

Bertrand Russell

b. 1872; d. 1970

Aphorisms Attributed to This Aphorist

tiny.ag/5kc4i3zm  ·  submitted 1997

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.

Bertrand Russell, in Work and Recreation

tiny.ag/snhswbdj  ·  submitted 1997

Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons.

Bertrand Russell, in War and Peace

tiny.ag/zisvds6e  ·  submitted 1997

Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence; it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines.

Bertrand Russell, in Science and Religion

tiny.ag/s6cusegk  ·  submitted 1997

So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.

Bertrand Russell, in Science and Religion

tiny.ag/mueprtoh  ·  submitted 1997

The point of philosophy is to start with something so simple as to seem not worth stating, and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will believe it.

Bertrand Russell, in Science and Religion

tiny.ag/pwfxhqlj  ·  submitted 1997

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.

Bertrand Russell, in Wisdom and Ignorance

tiny.ag/2ejyewwu  ·  submitted 1997

I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.

Bertrand Russell, in Science and Religion

tiny.ag/lapwdvsc  ·  submitted 1997

If I were a medical man, I should prescribe a holiday to any patient who considered his work important.

Bertrand Russell, in Work and Recreation

tiny.ag/zurgb1as  ·  submitted 1997

Man is a credulous animal and must believe something. In the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.

Bertrand Russell, in Science and Religion

tiny.ag/sr7yv9lh  ·  submitted 1997

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.

Bertrand Russell, in Wisdom and Ignorance