“Nothing, however, is more dubious than the way in which these two words ‘pessimist’ and ‘optimist’ are used; for the optimist appears to be he who cannot bear the world as it is, and is forced by his nature to picture it as it ought to be, and the pessimist one who cannot only bear the world as it is, but loves it well enough to draw it faithfully.” — John Galsworthy, “Some Platitudes Concerning Drama,” The Complete Essays of John Galsworthy
“Matters change, and morals change; men remain.” — John Galsworthy, “Some Platitudes Concerning Drama,” The Complete Essays of John Galsworthy
“The cause of atrocities is generally the violence of Fear.” — John Galsworthy, “The Black Godmother,” Inn of Tranquility and Other Essays
“I don’t believe in believing things because one wants to.” — John Galsworthy, The Apple Tree
“The persistence of the Past is one of those tragi-comic blessings which each new age denies, coming cocksure on to the stage to mouth its claim to a perfect novelty.” — John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga
