Death Quote by Samuel Butler — Inspiring Words on Life, Love & Wisdom

“So engrained in the human heart is the desire to believe that some people really do know what they say they know, and can thus save them from the trouble of thinking for themselves, that in a short time would-be philosophers and faddists became more powerful than ever, and gradually led their countrymen to accept all those absurd views of life, some account of which I have given in my earlier chapters. Indeed I can see no hope for the Erewhonians till they have got to understand that reason uncorrected by instinct is as bad as instinct uncorrected by reason.”

“The world is naturally averse to all truth it sees or hears”

“Theist and atheist: The fight between them is as to whether God shall be called God or shall have some other name.”

“But one wants the idea of Death, you know, as something large and unknowable, something that allows a person to stretch himself out. Especially one wants it if one is tired. Or perhaps what one wants is simply a release from sensation, from all consciousness for ever....”

“Either we live by accident and die by accident, or we live by plan and die by plan.”

“You are going to end up as one of those sad old men who poke around in rubbish bins.”

“If you can kill it, or it can kill you, it's real.”

“It was a year for the ages, like 79, like 1346, to name just a few. Forget the scythe, Goddamn it, I needed a broom or a mop. And I needed a vacation.”

“It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.”