Randolph Bourne Quotes

The President is an elected king, but the fact that he is elected has proved to be of far less significance in the course of political evolution than the fact that he is pragmatically a king.  …  Kings have often been selected this way in European history, and the Roman Emperor was regularly chosen by election.

Randolph Bourne

• History
• Political
• King

Few people even scratch the surface, much less exhaust the contemplation of their own experience.

Randolph Bourne

• People
• Experience
• Scratch

Society is one vast conspiracy for carving one into the kind of statue likes, and then placing it in the most convenient niche it has.

Randolph Bourne

• Society
• Kind
• Conspiracy

The State is a jealous God and will brook no rivals.  Its sovereignty must pervade everyone and all feeling must be run into the stereotyped forms of romantic patriotic militarism which is the traditional expression of the State herd-feeling.

Randolph Bourne

• God
• Feeling
• Romantic

Friendships are fragile things, and require as much handling as any other fragile and precious thing.

Randolph Bourne

• Things
• Friendships
• Other

Our elders are always optimistic in their views of the present, pessimistic in their views of the future; youth is pessimistic toward the present and gloriously hopeful for the future.  And it is this hope which is the lever of progress-one might say, the only lever of progress.

Randolph Bourne

• Hope
• Future
• Present

How shall I describe Youth, the time of contradictions and anomalies?  The fiercest radicalisms, the most dogged conservatisms, irrepressible gayety, bitter melancholy,-all these moods are equally part of that showery spring-time of life.

Randolph Bourne

• Life
• Time
• Spring

Indeed, it is not too much to say that the normal relation of States is war.

Randolph Bourne

• War

War is the health of the State and it is during war that one best understands the nature of that institution.

Randolph Bourne

• War
• Nature
• Health