Explore Quotes by John Ruskin

Doing is the great thing, for if people resolutely do what is right, they come in time to like doing it.

Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance.

Modern education has devoted itself to the teaching of impudence, and then we complain that we can no longer control our mobs.

The work of science is to substitute facts for appearances, and demonstrations for impressions.

Some slaves are scoured to their work by whips, others by their restlessness and ambition.

Modern travelling is not travelling at all; it is merely being sent to a place, and very little different from becoming a parcel.

Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness.

Books are divided into two classes, the books of the hour and the books of all time.

Do not think of your faults, still less of other's faults; look for what is good and strong, and try to imitate it. Your faults will drop off, like dead leaves, when their time comes.

It is not how much one makes but to what purpose one spends.

It is a strange thing how little in general people know about the sky. It is the part of creation in which nature has done more for the sake of pleasing man.

When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.

The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world... to see clearly is poetry, prophecy and religion all in one.

Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them.

The distinguishing sign of slavery is to have a price, and to be bought for it.

A great thing can only be done by a great person; and they do it without effort.

Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery.

All that we call ideal in Greek or any other art, because to us it is false and visionary, was, to the makers of it, true and existent.

All great and beautiful work has come of first gazing without shrinking into the darkness.

To know anything well involves a profound sensation of ignorance.

It is far more difficult to be simple than to be complicated; far more difficult to sacrifice skill and easy execution in the proper place, than to expand both indiscriminately.