John Ruskin Quotes
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The world is full of vulgar Purists, who bring discredit on all selection by the silliness of their choice; and this the more, because the very becoming a Purist is commonly indicative of some slight degree of weakness, readiness to be offended, or narrowness of understanding of the ends of things.
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There is no climate, no place, and scarcely an hour, in which nature does not exhibit color which no mortal effort can imitate or approach. For all our artificial pigments are, even when seen under the same circumstances, dead and lightless beside her living color; nature exhibits her hues under an intensity of sunlight which trebles their brilliancy.
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The common practice of keeping up appearances with society is a mere selfish struggle of the vain with the vain.
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When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.
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Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts - the book of their deeds, the book of their words and the book of their art.
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The art which we may call generally art of the wayside, as opposed to that which is the business of men's lives, is, in the best sense of the word, Grotesque.
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All the best things and treasures of this world are not to be produced by each generation for itself; but we are all intended, not to carve our work in snow that will melt, but each and all of us to be continually rolling a great white gathering snow-ball, higher and higher, larger and larger, along the Alps of human power.
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There is nothing so great or so goodly in creation, but that it is a mean symbol of the gospel of Christ, and of the things He has prepared for them that love Him.
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When the whole world turns clown, and paints itself red with its own hearts blood instead of vermilion, it is something else than comic.
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Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity.
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For men to feel their souls withering within them, unthanked, to find their whole being sunk into an unrecognized abyss, to be counted off into a heap of mechanism numbered with its wheels, and weighed with its hammer strokes - this, nature bade not, - this, God blesses not, - this, humanity for no long time is able to endure.
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Life being very short, and the quiet hours of it few, we ought to waste none of them in reading valueless books.
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In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it.
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No lying knight or lying priest ever prospered in any age, but especially not in the dark ones. Men prospered then only in following an openly declared purpose, and preaching candidly beloved and trusted creeds.
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I have always found that the less we speak of our intentions, the more chance there is of our realizing them.
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Why is one man richer than another? Because he is more industrious, more persevering and more sagacious.
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When men do not love their hearth, nor reverence their thresholds, it is a sign that they have dishonoured both ... Our God is a house – hold God, as well as a heavenly one; He has an altar in every man's dwelling.
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No nation can last which has made a mob of itself, however generous at heart.
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We are, after all, only trustees of the wealth we possess. Without the community and its resources... there would be little wealth for anyone.
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In every person who comes near you look for what is good and strong.
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Your art is to be the praise of something that you love. It may only be the praise of a shell or a stone.
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Milton saw not, and Beethoven heard not, but the sense of beauty was upon them, and they fain must speak.
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Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.
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The essence of lying is in deception, not in words.