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Progress2 quotes
I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever. But the men of ritual and the men of barbarism are capable of shutting up the men of science and of silencing them forever. — Sinclair Lewis · 1935I think perhaps we want a more conscious life. We're tired of drudging and sleeping and dying. We're tired of seeing just a few people able to be individualists. We're tired of always deferring hope till the next generation. We're tired of hearing politicians and priests and cautious reformers...coax us, "Be calm! Be patient! Wait! We have the plans for a Utopia already made; just give us a bit more time and we’ll produce it; trust us; we're wiser than you." For ten thousand years they've said that. We want our Utopia now-and we're going to try our hands at it. — Sinclair Lewis · 1920America1 quote
Why, America’s the only free nation on earth. Besides! Country’s too big for a revolution. No, no! Couldn’t happen here! — Sinclair Lewis · 1935American politics1 quote
Why, America’s the only free nation on earth. Besides! Country’s too big for a revolution. No, no! Couldn’t happen here! — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Authoritarianism1 quote
Why are you so afraid of the word ‘Fascism,’ Doremus? Just a word-just a word! And might not be so bad, with all the lazy bums we got panhandling relief nowadays, and living on my income tax and yours-not so worse to have a real Strong Man, like Hitler or Mussolini-like Napoleon or Bismarck in the good old days-and have ‘em really run the country and make it efficient and prosperous again. ‘Nother words, have a doctor who won’t take any back-chat, but really boss the patient and make him get well whether he likes it or not! — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Conformity1 quote
I've never done a single thing I've wanted to in my whole life! I don't know 's I've accomplished anything except just get along. — Sinclair Lewis · 1922Critical thinking1 quote
I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever. But the men of ritual and the men of barbarism are capable of shutting up the men of science and of silencing them forever. — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Domination and subordination1 quote
Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on. — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Ennui1 quote
But I do know that about ten times as many people find their lives dull, and unnecessarily dull, as ever admit it; and I do believe that if we busted out and admitted it sometimes, instead of being nice and patient and loyal for sixty years, and then nice and patient and dead for the rest of eternity, why, maybe, possibly, we might make life more fun. — Sinclair Lewis · 1922Escape1 quote
Thus it came to him merely to run away was folly, because he could never run away from himself. — Sinclair Lewis · 1922Fascism1 quote
Why are you so afraid of the word ‘Fascism,’ Doremus? Just a word-just a word! And might not be so bad, with all the lazy bums we got panhandling relief nowadays, and living on my income tax and yours-not so worse to have a real Strong Man, like Hitler or Mussolini-like Napoleon or Bismarck in the good old days-and have ‘em really run the country and make it efficient and prosperous again. ‘Nother words, have a doctor who won’t take any back-chat, but really boss the patient and make him get well whether he likes it or not! — Sinclair Lewis · 1935God and man1 quote
The Maker of a universe with stars a hundred thousand light-years apart was interested, furious, and very personal about it if a small boy played baseball on Sunday afternoon. — Sinclair Lewis · 1927Intellectual freedom1 quote
I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever. But the men of ritual and the men of barbarism are capable of shutting up the men of science and of silencing them forever. — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Love1 quote
What is Love?... It is the morning and the evening star. — Sinclair Lewis · 1927Man and nature1 quote
Most troubles are unnecessary. We have Nature beaten; we can make her grow wheat; we can keep warm when she sends blizzards. So we raise the devil just for pleasure-wars, politics, race-hatreds, labor-disputes. — Sinclair Lewis · 1920Middle class conformity1 quote
But I do know that about ten times as many people find their lives dull, and unnecessarily dull, as ever admit it; and I do believe that if we busted out and admitted it sometimes, instead of being nice and patient and loyal for sixty years, and then nice and patient and dead for the rest of eternity, why, maybe, possibly, we might make life more fun. — Sinclair Lewis · 1922Misanthropy1 quote
He loved the People just as much as he feared and detested Persons. — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Nature of love1 quote
What is Love?... It is the morning and the evening star. — Sinclair Lewis · 1927Political progress1 quote
I think perhaps we want a more conscious life. We're tired of drudging and sleeping and dying. We're tired of seeing just a few people able to be individualists. We're tired of always deferring hope till the next generation. We're tired of hearing politicians and priests and cautious reformers...coax us, "Be calm! Be patient! Wait! We have the plans for a Utopia already made; just give us a bit more time and we’ll produce it; trust us; we're wiser than you." For ten thousand years they've said that. We want our Utopia now-and we're going to try our hands at it. — Sinclair Lewis · 1920Regret1 quote
I've never done a single thing I've wanted to in my whole life! I don't know 's I've accomplished anything except just get along. — Sinclair Lewis · 1922Revolution1 quote
Why, America’s the only free nation on earth. Besides! Country’s too big for a revolution. No, no! Couldn’t happen here! — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Running away1 quote
Thus it came to him merely to run away was folly, because he could never run away from himself. — Sinclair Lewis · 1922Sabbath1 quote
The Maker of a universe with stars a hundred thousand light-years apart was interested, furious, and very personal about it if a small boy played baseball on Sunday afternoon. — Sinclair Lewis · 1927Scientific progress1 quote
I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever. But the men of ritual and the men of barbarism are capable of shutting up the men of science and of silencing them forever. — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Social class1 quote
It isn't what you earn but how you spend it that fixes your class. — Sinclair Lewis · 1935Social hierarchy1 quote
Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on. — Sinclair Lewis · 1935The human condition1 quote
Most troubles are unnecessary. We have Nature beaten; we can make her grow wheat; we can keep warm when she sends blizzards. So we raise the devil just for pleasure-wars, politics, race-hatreds, labor-disputes. — Sinclair Lewis · 1920Wasted life1 quote
I've never done a single thing I've wanted to in my whole life! I don't know 's I've accomplished anything except just get along. — Sinclair Lewis · 1922