574 Quotes by George Santayana

Theory helps us to bear our ignorance of facts.

I love moving water, I love ships, I love the sharp definition, the concentrated humanity, the sublime solitude of life at sea. The dangers of it only make present to us the peril inherent in all existence, which the stupid, ignorant, un-travelled land-worm never discovers; and the art of it, so mathematical, so exact, so rewarding to intelligence, appeals to courage and clears the mind of superstition, while filling it with humility and true religion.

Sanity is madness put to good use.

Half our standards come from our first masters, and the other half from our first loves.

Trust the man who hesitates in his speech and is quick and steady in action, but beware of long arguments and long beards.

Intelligence is quickness in seeing things as they are.

Not to believe in love is a great sign of dullness. There are some people so indirect and lumbering that they think all real affection rests on circumstantial evidence.

Photography at first was asked to do nothing but embalm our best smiles for the benefit of our friends and our best clothes for the amusement of posterity. Neither thing lasts, and photography came as a welcome salve to keep those precious, if slightly ridiculous, things a little longer in the world.

Before he sets out, the traveler must possess fixed interests and facilities to be served by travel.