5 quotes by Bertrand Russell to think about

The most interesting thing about Bertrand Russell’s phrases is the casual tone they contain. It is not often that a thinker of his kind leaves a legacy that can be appreciated by all. There is great wisdom in his aphorisms.

In the phrases of Bertrand Russell we find wisdom of the highest quality. This British philosopher, writer and mathematician has written some of the most memorable lines of human thought. He was one of the most deserving Nobel Prize winners, a distinction he achieved in 1950.

The most interesting thing about Bertrand Russell’s phrases is that almost all of them are written in a tone colloquial. He never intended to amaze others with his knowledge. What he was looking for with his aphorisms was to communicate, to make simple what is complex.

This fabulous thinker was also a pacifist convinced of freedom as supreme value. His ideas, defended with passion and commitment, led him to prison in World War I. He was also banned several times for not supporting power. As a tribute and to learn from him, we bring up some of his best-known phrases.

“The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which bridge to burn.”.

-Bertrand Russell-

1. Scientists and politicians

One of the recurring themes in Bertrand Russell’s phrases is science and superstition.. Within this last field he places politics, to which he dedicated several of his most critical and forceful lines.

When comparing science and politics, the philosopher says the following: “Scientists struggle to make the impossible possible. The politicians for making the possible impossible”. This statement shows off his fine humor, which evidently has that characteristic British note.

2. One of Bertrand Russell’s phrases about doubt

This is one of Bertrand Russell’s phrases that continue to be frequently cited today. He says: “Much of the difficulties the world is going through are due to the ignorant They are completely sure and the intelligent ones are full of doubts”.

Read Also: Discover the 43 most famous philosophers of all time

One of the characteristics of ignorance is that tone of certainty with which it speaks. Anyone who has traveled through the world of science or culture knows that it is difficult to speak of absolute truths. The truth is always under construction and that is why the doubt is always relevant.

3. Caution in love

In Bertrand Russell we find a philosopher concerned with ethical issues. HE decidedly opposed idealism and romantic values, which he considered inconvenient for human beings. He maintained that they were ultimately a form of authoritarianism.

That’s why when Russell talks about love he does so from a raw perspective, but without giving up humor. This phrase reflects very well the attitude that he promotes with his thoughts: “Among all forms of caution, caution in love is possibly the most lethal to true happiness.”.

4. Leisure

One of the topics that Bertrand Rusell reflected on was leisure.. This was truly brave, since in his time leisure and vice seemed synonymous. However, the texts that Russell dedicated to this topic are truly masterful. He managed to understand and convey the essentials of what free time means.

Regarding this topic, he points out: “The wise use of leisure is a product of civilization and education”. For Russell, free time was infinitely valuable time that gave the opportunity to exercise the greatest human quality: creativity. For him, moments of leisure test the intelligence of a person and, by extension, of a society.

5. Lacking is better than having

This is one of those phrases by Bertrand Russell that reveals the depth of his reflections. He says the following: “Lacking any of the things one desires is an essential condition for happiness.”. It is very interesting that he associates happiness with lack, something that is also worked on in Lacanian psychology and psychoanalysis.

Read Also: Do you know our 8 basic psychological processes?

Lacking something leads to desire. And desire is, in itself, a source of motivation for action.. When you get that something you want, enthusiasm loses its intensity and a kind of “fullness” arises that often depresses. Russell clarifies that it is not lacking everything one wants, but rather something of this.

There are countless phrases by Bertrand Russell that give us those touches of wisdom that nourish us so much.. It could not be any other way with someone who is considered by many to be the most influential philosopher of the 20th century on the English stage.