Quotes by Randolph Bourne

Really to believe in human nature while striving to know the thousand forces that warp it from its ideal development-to call for and expect much from men and women, and not to be disappointed and embittered if they fall short- to try to do good with people rather than to them- this is my religion on its human side. And if God exists, I think that he must be in the warm sun, in the kindly actions of the people we know and read of, in the beautiful things of art and nature, and in the closeness of friendships.

War is the health of the state.

The American intellectuals, in their preoccupation with reality, seem to have forgotten that the real enemy is War rather than imperial Germany. There is work to be done to prevent this war of ours from passing into popular mythology as a holy crusade. What shall we do with leaders who tell us that we go to war in moral spotlessness or who make “democracy” synonymous with a republican form of government?

For we do not do what we want to do, but what is easiest and most natural for us to do, and if it is easy for us to do the wrong thing, it is that that we will do.

So to all who are situated as I am, I would say--Grow up as fast as you can.

The ironist is ironical not because he does not care, but because he cares too much.

The world has never favored the experimental life. It despises poets, fanatics, prophets and lovers.

We can easily become as much slaves to precaution as we can to fear.

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

A man with few friends is only half-developed there are whole sides of his nature which are locked up and have never been expressed. He cannot unlock them himself he cannot even discover them friends alone can stimulate him and open him.

Good friendships are fragile things and require as much care as any other fragile and precious thing.

Our real duty is always found running in the direction of our worthiest desires.

We may by our excessive prudence squeeze out of the life we are guarding so anxiously all the adventurous quality that makes it worth living.

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

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.

“The world has never favored the experimental life. It despises poets, fanatics, prophets and lovers.”