George Bernard Shaw is one of the most influential writers and playwrights and well-known people of the British Isles, having been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and being the author of works such as Pygmalion either Caesar and Cleopatra.
Sometimes considered the greatest playwright after Shakespeare, he was also known for his controversial opinions (for example criticizing democracy and approaching the Stalinist regime, pointing out the guilt of all sides in the First World War, supporting eugenics or criticizing vaccination). . Throughout his life he made numerous reflections on different aspects, and we will see the most interesting ones below. a compilation of phrases by George Bernard Shaw
Below is a small collection of phrases from this important playwright about different aspects of life, to get us closer to his way of seeing the world.
9. The reasonable man adapts to the world; The unreasonable tries to adapt the world to himself. So progress depends on the unreasonable man
Reason has always been considered a great aspect that should govern our behavior, although ultimately it is its absence that allows us to advance as a society and species instead of limiting ourselves to adapting to the world.
10. Virtue does not consist in abstaining from vice, but in not desiring it
For the author, what is truly virtuous is not wanting vices or not giving importance to them instead of repressing their desire.
11. There is always someone who kisses and someone who simply allows the kiss.
A phrase that refers to the existence of asymmetries in the relationship and in the roles that are established.
12. The man who listens to reason is lost. Reason enslaves all those who are not strong enough to dominate it.
Reason is useful and necessary, but we must not allow ourselves to be dominated by it and ignore our emotions and desires.
13. Obedience simulates subordination, just as fear of the police simulates honesty.
The author points out that following rules or orders does not imply agreeing with them internally.
14. There are two tragedies in life: one is not achieving what the heart longs for; the other is to achieve
Not achieving something desired can lead to great frustration, but achieving it can also mean having overcome the difficulties and no longer serving as a motivation for action by not having to make an effort to achieve what is desired.
15. What truly flatters a man is when you believe he is worth flattering.
In reality, it is not important what you say to someone to flatter them, but rather the fact that they see that you are considered worthy of it.
16. The fact that a believer can be happier than a skeptic is as true as saying that a drunk is happier than a sober man.
Happiness is completely independent of believing or not believing. Certain beliefs are simply going to be maintained or not.
17. Poets talk to themselves and the world overhears them
Poetry is a way for its authors to verbally express their thoughts and emotions.
18. War does not decide who is right, but who is left
In war there are no winners or losers and the winner does not necessarily have to be the one who is most right but rather the one who survives.
19. Mirrors are used to see one’s face; art to see the soul
The author establishes a simile between both elements to show that art is a reflection of the interior of its creators.
20. Be very careful with the man who does not slap you back
Someone attacked may initially not attack back, but over time they may rebel and return all the blows together.
21. Everything happens in the world, sooner or later, if there is enough time
Reflection that everything is possible and can happen.
22. The worst sin towards our fellow human beings is not to hate them, but to treat them with indifference: that is the essence of inhumanity
Indifference generates much more pain than hatred, since while the latter recognizes the existence of the opposite, the former does not even accept him as an equal.
23. Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
Be flexible and able to adapt to changes and generating new thoughts is essential if we want to achieve new goals.
24. There is no secret better kept than the one everyone knows
If everyone knows a secret, it will not be necessary to expose it, so the secret in question remains ignored and forgotten.
25. A life dedicated to making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life dedicated to doing nothing.
To err is human, and it implies that at least you have tried to do something even if it has gone wrong. It is always more useful than just imagining without trying to achieve our goals.
26. The possibilities are numerous, once we decide to act and not react
Along the same lines as the previous one, we are told that we must be proactive in life and not limit ourselves to reacting to what happens to us.
27. A gossip is like a wasp; If you can’t kill her with the first hit, don’t mess with her.
Bernard Shaw warns us of the need to be careful with rumors and keep in mind that if you don’t tackle it in the bud and try to influence it without success, it is more likely that it will be considered true by others.
28. What intelligent man, if given the choice between living with roses or living without collards, would not rush to secure the collards?
A phrase that expresses that human beings tend to look at what is beautiful instead of what is practical.
29. Just do what needs to be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness
This phrase expresses the need to fulfill one’s duty.
30. He who has never had hope cannot despair
Despair implies that at some point there was hope although this has not been fulfilled.
31. A winner is one who gets up and looks for the circumstances he wants, and if he doesn’t find them he creates them.
Being able to fight for and pursue what we want is what the author defends as necessary to be a winner.
32. All great truths begin by being blasphemies
We often find that scientific discoveries have been met with disbelief and opposition from the population because they may contradict previously held beliefs in this regard.
33. Statistics is a science that shows that if my neighbor has two cars and I have none, we both have one
Statistics is a useful tool, but we must keep in mind that it will not always represent reality but rather an approximation or trend.
34. When two people are under the influence of the most violent, the most insane, the most illusory and the most fleeting of passions, they are asked to swear that they will continue continually in that excited, abnormal and exhausting condition until death do them part.
An author’s opinion on love, passion and marriage.
35. The white American relegates the black man to the status of shoe shiner and deduces from this that he is only good for cleaning boots.
Criticism of racism and the consideration that some are inferior to others without taking into account that if they play a lesser role it is because they have been forcibly placed in that position. One of George Bernard Shaw’s most vindictive phrases
36. There is always danger for those who fear it
The danger is always there. We must accept it and face it without it paralyzing us.
37. Life does not stop being comic because a man dies, nor does it stop being tragic because a man laughs
The world continues to spin regardless of what we do in it.
38. Humans are the only animals I am completely and truly scared of.
Human beings are capable of great wonders, but also of enormous monstrosities and crimes.
39. The soul is too precious a gift for God to give it to man for nothing. He has to win it, by being or doing something
Phrase that drives us to do something to deserve to be alive.
40. My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world
In a world so focused on appearances, the truth is often something unexpected and incredible.
41. If you have an apple and I have an apple, and we exchange apples, then both you and I will still have an apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea, and we exchange ideas, then we will both have two ideas.
The author tells us about the need to share thoughts, points of view and beliefs as an element for us all to grow.
42. We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.
We should not only focus on receiving, but also on giving and generating happiness.
43. I prefer the state of constant progress, with the goal in front and not behind
It is necessary to set goals throughout life so that we can move forward and not stay stuck in the past.
44. No one attacks a lion when the field is full of sheep
The author expresses that meekness and submission makes it easier for those who want to take advantage to do so, while strength of character makes it much more difficult.
45. Give a man health and goals to achieve and he will not stop to think about whether he is happy or not.
Reflecting on whether or not we are happy is something we do when we don’t know what to do or if we are doing the right thing. Setting stimulating goals makes us focus on them and be happy without having to reflect on it.
46. ​​A gentleman is someone who puts more into the world than he takes away.
This phrase proposes the need for our passage through life to leave something positive in the world.
47. Try to get what you like or you will be forced to like what they give you
Phrase that indicates the need to fight for what we want
48. After all, the wrong path always leads somewhere
Even if the path we take is not the one we would like, we can always draw fruit from it and it can take us to unsuspected places.
49. A man who has a mind and knows it can always defeat ten men who do not have it and do not know it.
He who knows his limitations and his virtues is more capable of facing life than those who believe themselves to be much more than they are.
50. Success is not about never making mistakes, but about never making the same one a second time.
The key would be to learn from experience so that we don’t have to stumble over the same stone twice.
51. People who say it can’t be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.
This phrase indicates that those who do not consider that certain things can be achieved should not interfere with the attempts of others to achieve what has never been achieved before.
52. The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has been carried out
The author indicates that we lack the ability to communicate with each other it is common for us to assume that others have understood or should see certain information.
53. Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman, but believing what he read made him a madman
The author tells us the need not to take for granted everything we read or learn.
54. Man can climb to the highest peaks, but he cannot live there for long.
Everything that goes up has to go down.
55. People always blame circumstances.
Most people justify their lack of action or their current state by the circumstances in which they find themselves. However, although these are obviously going to influence, we can always try to find a means or other circumstances to achieve our objectives.
56. It is very easy to be respectable when you have no opportunity to be anything else.
Sometimes we have no choice but to be or act a certain way.
57. Almost everyone knows how to start, the difficult thing is to end it
Starting something is relatively easy, but finishing it not so much. This is what happens, for example, with relationships that work poorly.
58. Do not do to others what you would like them to do to you. It may be that your tastes are not the same
For Bernard Shaw, We should not assume that we all think or feel the same but we must take into account the great disparity of opinions and ways of seeing the world that there may be.
59. Justice lies in impartiality, and only strangers can be impartial
The existence of partiality or connection with one of the parties will make it difficult for us to be completely fair.
60. When God created the world he saw that it was good. What will he say now?
Shaw lived in a complex time, specifically going through the two World Wars and their consequences.
