Ludwig Borne Quotes

Reason is a harmonising, controlling force rather than a creative one.

By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.

Be moderate in everything, including moderation.

Everyone talks about moderation. How about some moderation in moderation?

When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative.

You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.

Less judgment than wit is more sail than ballast.

You can be very wild and still be very wise.

I personally don't feel the need to be radical for its own sake, but I probably couldn't if I tried anyway.

Idealism, alas, does not protect one from ignorance, dogmatism, and foolishness.

Some Italians are geniuses, but you have to find a balance.

We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.

The true humanist maintains a just balance between sympathy and selection.

I am brave, but I take a view. It is an educated view. I am careful. I am not reckless.

Be wisely worldly, but not worldly wise.

A wise man sees as much as he ought, not as much as he can.

In the last analysis sound judgment will prevail.

Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.

I'm not an extremist, you know.

It is reason, and not passion, which must guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision.

Master books, but do not let them master you. Read to live, not live to read.

Perfect reason flees all extremity, and leads one to be wise with sobriety.

Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.

Every reform, however necessary, will by weak minds be carried to an excess, that itself will need reforming.

These rare senses and powers of reasoning were given to be used freely, but not audaciously, to discover, not to pervert the truth.