John Morley Quotes

TR was a very practical politician, and it was partly from watching him sympathetically that I lost some of my contempt for politicians …

What public men, whether in or out of office, must avoid, is the making of predictions. This is what is called, in their own language, " committing themselves," and is never done without the greatest caution and necessity; and, therefore, whenever public men choose to put themselves at issue with the ministers, and hazard predictions, they become from that moment entitled to the praise of superior wisdom or not, just as their expectations are or are not verified by the event.

In the practical use of our intellect, forgetting is as important as remembering.

It is normal for politicians in all countries to profess themselves the pupils of history, anxious to draw the right lessons from her teaching.

One of the things that you have trouble with politicians, particularly in Washington, is when you get mad at them and you can't touch them; you can't punch them; you can't yell at them.

A friend who cannot at a pinch remember a thing or two that never happened is as bad as one who does not know how to forget.

He has the best political mind of all the generals I have.

Truth telling in politics is the mark of an inexperienced politician.

A statesman is judged by results. If his policy fails he goes. It may be unfair, but there is a kind of rough justice about it.

I have never found, in a long experience in politics, that criticism is ever inhibited by ignorance.

In politics you can't afford to be too knowledgeable about things like that.

In politics you learn from the mistakes you made and the mistakes that you see other people make.

The mistakes you made you tend to conveniently forget

Forget whatever should be forgotten, so that you can remember what should be remembered

You have not forgotten to remember; You have remembered to forget. But people can forget to forget. That is just as important as remembering to remember - and generally more practical.

Women forget all the things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget.

People forget years and remember moments.

It is as well now and then not to remember all we know.

The extraordinary ability of a woman to forget is not the same as the talent of a lady not to be able to remember.

...forgetting is vastly underrated as a mental operation.

Men go to the theatre to forget; women, to remember.

If you're studying Geology, which is all facts, as soon as you get out of school you forget it all, but Philosophy you remember just enough to screw you up for the rest of your life.

We cannot afford to forget any experience, not even the most painful.

Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that. You forget some things, dont you? Yes. You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget.

Tell me about your family," I said. And so she did. I listened intently as my mother went through each branch of the tree. Years later, after the funeral, Maria had asked me questions about the family - who was related to whom - and I struggled. I couldn't remember. A big chunk of our history had been buried with my mother. You should never let your past disappear that way.