Quotes By John Ruskin

Not only is there but one way of doing things rightly, but there is only one way of seeing them, and that is, seeing the whole of them.

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.

Imaginary evils soon become real one by indulging our reflections on them.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.

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.

To give alms is nothing unless you give thought also.

I have not written in vain if I have heretofore done anything towards diminishing the reputation of the Renaissance landscape painting.

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.

Civilization is the making of civil persons.

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

There is no wealth but life.

The first condition of education is being able to put someone to wholesome and meaningful work.

I believe the first test of a truly great man is in his humility.

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

Nearly all the powerful people of this age are unbelievers, the best of them in doubt and misery, the most in plodding hesitation, doing as well as they can, what practical work lies at hand.

Taste is the only morality. Tell me what you like and I'll tell you what you are.

Cursing is invoking the assistance of a spirit to help you inflict suffering. Swearing on the other hand, is invoking, only the witness of a spirit to an statement you wish to make.

No person who is not a great sculptor or painter can be an architect. If he is not a sculptor or painter, he can only be a builder.

The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most.

Beauty deprived of its proper foils and adjuncts ceases to be enjoyed as beauty, just as light deprived of all shadows ceases to be enjoyed as light.

No good is ever done to society by the pictorial representation of its diseases.

Natural abilities can almost compensate for the want of every kind of cultivation, but no cultivation of the mind can make up for the want of natural abilities.

No architecture is so haughty as that which is simple.

The principle of all successful effort is to try to do not what is absolutely the best, but what is easily within our power, and suited for our temperament and condition.

Punishment is the last and the least effective instrument in the hands of the legislator for the prevention of crime.

Music when healthy, is the teacher of perfect order, and when depraved, the teacher of perfect disorder.

How long most people would look at the best book before they would give the price of a large turbot for it?

Every great person is always being helped by everybody; for their gift is to get good out of all things and all persons.

Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back.

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