Robertson Davies

"The test of real breeding is whether one can be rude without actually giving offense."

"The eye of man is a device for creating illusions that accord with his desires."

"We are dying from civilisation and all its discontents."

"A man of very moderate abilities may be made a considerable figure if he sets about it in the right way."

"The real conflict is often between civilization and human nature."

"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment."

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."

"The great and secret message of all genuine art is 'You are not alone; you are part of the human community.'"

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you."

"The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to an imagined past."

"A man who is not influenced by beauty, who does not think that beauty matters, is not a fully developed man."

"The human animal behaves very oddly about some things."

"It is not the most intellectual of people who lead the world, nor is it the kindest; it is the most stubborn."

"That is what education means - to discover what you do believe."

"A person is not a thing to be managed, but a mystery to be respected."

"We are only just beginning to realize how much the study of the past means for our future."

"The real problem is that there are very few people who live a mental life."

"To be sick is to enjoy the title and privileges of the invalid."

"What is uttered from the heart alone will win the hearts of others."

"Ambition without knowledge is like a boat on dry land."

"Theatre is the only art form that is truly alive."

"The business of living is not to be escaped; it must be endured."

"A truly great person never loses their sense of wonder."

"Most people have ears, but few have the gift of really hearing."

"You must accept that you will make mistakes; that is how you learn."

"Happiness is not something that can be pursued directly; it comes as a by-product of living well."

"The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable."

"People complain that life is monotonous, when they themselves are monotonous."

"To suggest that everything can be understood and managed is folly."

"The world would be a better place if everyone had to write their autobiography."