black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

Terrible is the temptation to be good.

Bertolt Brecht

General, your bomber is powerful. It flies faster than a storm and carries more than an elephant. But it has one defect: It needs a mechanic. General, man is very useful. He can fly and he can kill. But he has one defect: He can think.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Bother Carries Defect Faster General Man Storm
One can describe the world of today to the people of today only if one describes it as capable of alteration.
BERTOLT BRECHT

People Today World
Of all the works of man I like best Those which have been used. The copper pots with their dents and flattened edges The knives and forks whose wooden handles Have been worn away by many hands: such forms Seemed to me the noblest.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Approaching Folk Hands Knives Men
The defeats and victories of the fellows at the top aren’t always defeats and victories for the fellows at the bottom.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Defeat Sunset Victory
For art to be ‘unpolitical’ means only to ally itself with the ‘ruling’ group.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Allies Art Mean
It’s all right to hesitate if you then go ahead.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Ahead Literature Travel
Eats first, morals after.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Eat Firsts Moral
Boy Meets Girl, So What?
BERTOLT BRECHT

Boys Broken Girl Heart
Recently my fingers have developed a prejudice against comparatives. They all follow this pattern: a squirrel is smaller than a tree; a bird is more musical than a tree.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Bird Perspective Squirrels
Art is not a mirror. Art is a hammer.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Art Hammers Mirrors
General, your tank is a powerful vehicle it smashes down forests and crushes a hundred men. but it has one defect: it needs a driver.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Crush Men Powerful
The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom, but to set a limit to infinite error.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Errors Science Wisdom
One forgets too easily the difference between a man and his image, and that there is none between the sound of his voice on the screen and in real life.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Men Real Screen Voice
Spring is noticed, if at all By people sitting in railway trains.
BERTOLT BRECHT

People Sitting Spring
Would it not be simpler If the Government dissolved the people and elected another?
BERTOLT BRECHT

Another Government People
All artforms are in the service of the greatest of all arts: the art of living.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Art Living Service
Each of us is the strongest one in his or her own skin. Characteristics should take off their hats to one another, instead of spitting in each other’s faces.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Characteristics Each Face Spitting
Never believe on faith, see for yourself! What you yourself don’t learn you don’t know.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Believe Knows Learn
Though the rich of this earth find no difficulty in creating misery, they can’t bear to see it.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Bears Creating Earth
For once you must try not to shirk the facts: mankind is kept alive by bestial acts.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Alive Sex Trying
Here today we huddle tight As the darkest heathens might The snow falls chilly on our skin The snow is forcing its way in. Hush, snow, come in with us to dwell: We were thrown out by Heaven as well.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Fall Heaven Snow
There are times when you have to choose between being human and having good taste.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Being Good Human Nature Taste
Who fights may lose, but who does not fight has lost already.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Already Fighting May
Great sport begins at a point where it has ceased to be healthy.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Great Healthy Sports
Temptation to behave is terrible.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Literature Temptation Terrible
For what’s the use of talking with a man who has a disease and thinks about the stars?
BERTOLT BRECHT

Men Stars Thinking
There are many elements to a campaign. Leadership is number one. Everything else is number two.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Leadership Numbers Two

Terrible is the temptation to be good.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

Terrible is the temptation to be good.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Bertolt Brecht Quotes