Quotes by Ibsen, Henrik

"The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population -- the intelligent ones or the fools? I think we can agree it's the fools, no matter where you go in this world, it's the fools that form the overwhelming majority."

Ibsen, Henrik on democracy
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"It was then that I began to look into the seams of your doctrine. I wanted only to pick at a single knot; but when I had got that undone, the whole thing raveled out. And then I understood that it was all machine-sewn."

Ibsen, Henrik on doctrine   

"Castles in the air - -they are so easy to take refuge in. And so easy to build as well."

Ibsen, Henrik on dream   

"Ah, I fancy it is just the same with most of what you call your emancipation. You have read yourself into a number of new ideas and opinions. You have got a sort of smattering of recent discoveries in various fields -- discoveries that seem to overthrow certain principles which have hitherto been held impregnable and unassailable. But all this has only been a matter of intellect, Miss West -- superficial acquisition. It has not passed into your blood."

Ibsen, Henrik on feminism   

"A forest bird never wants a cage."

Ibsen, Henrik on freedom   

"People who don't know how to keep themselves healthy ought to have the decency to get themselves buried, and not waste time about it."

Ibsen, Henrik on health   

"You should never have your best trousers on when you turn out to fight for freedom and truth."

Ibsen, Henrik on ideals and idealism
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"Don't use that foreign word ideals. We have that excellent native word lies."

Ibsen, Henrik on ideals and idealism   

"I'm afraid for all those who'll have the bread snatched from their mouths by these machines. What business has science and capitalism got, bringing all these new inventions into the works, before society has produced a generation educated up to using them!"

Ibsen, Henrik on machinery   

"The worst enemy of truth and freedom in our society is the compact majority. Yes, the damned, compact, liberal majority."

Ibsen, Henrik on majority   

"The majority is always wrong; the minority is rarely right."

Ibsen, Henrik on majority   

"A marriage based on full confidence, based on complete and unqualified frankness on both sides; they are not keeping anything back; there's no deception underneath it all. If I might so put it, it's an agreement for the mutual forgiveness of sin."

Ibsen, Henrik on marriage   

"A minority may be right, and a majority is always wrong."

Ibsen, Henrik on minorities   

"Money may be the husk of many things, but not the kernel. It brings you food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not faithfulness; days of joy, but not peace and happiness."

Ibsen, Henrik on money   

"Your home is regarded as a model home, your life as a model life. But all this splendor, and you along with it... it's just as though it were built upon a shifting quagmire. A moment may come, a word can be spoken, and both you and all this splendor will collapse."

Ibsen, Henrik on respectability   

"Never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth."

Ibsen, Henrik on evolution   

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"It is inexcusable for scientists to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists and politicians."

Ibsen, Henrik on science   

"The strongest man in the world is he who stands alone."

Ibsen, Henrik on self-reliance
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"Really to sin you have to be serious about it."

Ibsen, Henrik on sin   

"The spirit of truth and the spirit of freedom -- these are the pillars of society."

Ibsen, Henrik on society   

"In that second it dawned on me that I had been living here for eight years with a strange man and had borne him three children."

Ibsen, Henrik on wives   

"In your power, all the same. Subject to your will and your demands. No longer free! No! That's a thought I'll never endure! Never."

Ibsen, Henrik on wives   

"A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed."

Ibsen, Henrik on words
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"Ive had the best possible chance of learning that what the working-classes really need is to be allowed some part in the direction of public affairs, Doctorto develop their abilities, their understanding and their self-respect. "

Ibsen, Henrik on uncategorised   

"the cost line of keeping friends doesn't lie in what one does for them but(out of consideration of them) in what one refrains from doing "

Ibsen, Henrik on