Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes About Opinions

• The modern habit of saying "This is my opinion, but I may be wrong" is entirely irrational. If I say that it may be wrong, I say that is not my opinion. The modern habit of saying "Every man has a different philosophy; this is my philosophy and it suits me" – the habit of saying this is mere weak-mindedness. A cosmic philosophy is not constructed to fit a man; a cosmic philosophy is constructed to fit a cosmos. A man can no more possess a private religion than he can possess a private sun and moon.

  Gilbert K. Chesterton

  Philosophy, Moon, Men

• Tradition is only democracy extended through time; it may be defined as an extension of the franchise. Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who are merely walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man's opinion, even if he is our father.

  Gilbert K. Chesterton

  Father, Mean, Men

  'Orthodoxy' (1908) ch. 4

• A change of opinions is almost unknown in an elderly military man.

  Gilbert K. Chesterton

  Military, Men, Elderly

  "Utopia of Usurers and Other Essays". Book by Gilbert K. Chesterton, 1917.

• Bigotry may be roughly defined as the anger of men who have no opinions.

  Gilbert K. Chesterton

  Anger, Men, May

  'Heretics' (1905) ch. 20

• Every man speaks of public opinion, and means by public opinion, public opinion minus his opinion.

  Gilbert K. Chesterton

  Mean, Men, Public Opinion

  Gilbert K. Chesterton (2013). “The Essential Gilbert K. Chesterton”, p.170, Simon and Schuster

• Bowing down in blind credulity, as is my custom, before mere authority and the tradition of the elders, superstitiously swallowing a story I could not test at the time by experiment or private judgment, I am firmly of the opinion that I was born on the 29th of May, 1874, on Campden Hill, Kensington; and baptised according to the formularies of the Church of England in the little church of St. George opposite the large Waterworks Tower that dominated that ridge.

  Gilbert K. Chesterton

  Book, Opposites, Church

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