Explore Quotes by Bertrand Russell

The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history.

Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim.

Work is of two kinds: first, altering the position of matter at or near the earth's surface relative to other matter; second, telling other people to do so.

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.

Dogmatism and skepticism are both, in a sense, absolute philosophies; one is certain of knowing, the other of not knowing. What philosophy should dissipate is certainty, whether of knowledge or ignorance.

Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence, it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines.

A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy dare live.

Boredom is... a vital problem for the moralist, since half the sins of mankind are caused by the fear of it.

Conventional people are roused to fury by departure from convention, largely because they regard such departure as a criticism of themselves.

To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

Anything you're good at contributes to happiness.

The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd.

Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate.

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.

Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.

One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny.

Love is something far more than desire for sexual intercourse; it is the principal means of escape from the loneliness which afflicts most men and women throughout the greater part of their lives.

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.

The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.