E. M. Forster

spoon feeding teacing shape

“Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

think see say

How do I know what I think until I see what I say?”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

life planned waiting

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

confuse important impressive

“You confuse what's important with what's impressive.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

fact human life birth food sleep love death

“The main facts in human life are five: birth, food, sleep, love and death.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

difficult truth

“It is so difficult - at least, I find it difficult - to understand people who speak the truth.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

railway terminal gateway

Railway termini are our gates to the glorious and the unknown. Through them we pass out into adventure and sunshine, to them, alas! we return.

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

life easy chronicle bewildering practice

“Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

long books overpraised reader convince waisted time

“Long books, when read, are usually overpraised, because the reader wishes to convince others and himself that he has not wasted his time.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

mistrust enterprise clothes

“Mistrust all enterprises that require new clothes.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

only connect

“Only connect!”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

real hell manufactured heaven

“After all, is not a real Hell better than a manufactured Heaven?”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

humanist curiosity free mind good taste belief human race

“A humanist has four leading characteristics - curiosity, a free mind, belief in good taste, and belief in the human race.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

person passion interest

"One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested."

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

remember understand

"Unless we remember we cannot understand."

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

funeral death baptism birth marriage union clumsy device

"A funeral is not death, any more than baptism is birth or marriage union. All three are the clumsy devices, coming now too late, now too early, by which Society would register the quick motions of man."

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)

Englishman feel afraid express pipe

“It is not that the Englishman can’t feel — it is that he is afraid to feel. He has been taught at his public school that feeling is bad form. He must not express great joy or sorrow, or even open his mouth too wide when he talks — his pipe might fall out if he did.”

― E.M. Forster (1879-1970)