when a moral sense begins to rot it is worse than when you had none. - T. H. White

"Neither force, nor argument, nor opinion," said Merlyn with the deepest sincerity, "are thinking. Argument is only a display of mental force, a sort of fencing with points in order to gain a victory, not for truth. Opinions are the blind alleys of lazy or of stupid men, who are unable to think. If ever a true politician really thinks a subject out dispassionately, even Homo stultus will be compelled to accept his findings in the end. Opinion can never stand beside truth. At present, however, Homo impoliticus is content either to argue with opinions or to fight with his fists, instead of waiting for the truth in his head. It will take a million years, before the mass of men can be called political animals."

In the course of a long experience of the human race, I have learned that you can never make them understand anything, unless you rub it in.

"Wars are never fought for one reason," he said. "They are fought for dozens of reasons, in a muddle."