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An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral.

Clarence Darrow

The purpose of man is like the purpose of a pollywog – to wiggle along as far as he can without dying; or, to hang to life until death takes him.
CLARENCE DARROW

Death Himself Man Purpose
Ancestors do not mean so much. The rebel who succeeds generally makes it easier for the posterity that follows him; so these descendants are usually contented and smug and soft. Rebels are made from life, not ancestors.
CLARENCE DARROW

Ancestor Born Follow Life Mean Rebel
Physical deformity, calls forth our charity. But the infinite misfortune of moral deformity calls forth nothing but hatred and vengeance.
CLARENCE DARROW

Charity Hate Misfortune Revenge
Each child should be more intelligent than his parents.
CLARENCE DARROW

Children Himself Intelligence Parents
Laws have come down to us from old customs and folk-ways based on primitive ideas of man’s origin, capacity and responsibility.
CLARENCE DARROW

Custom Ideas Law Old Ourselves Responsibility
It’s not bad people I fear so much as good people. When a person is sure that he is good, he is nearly hopeless; he gets cruel- he believes in punishment.
CLARENCE DARROW

Bad Cruelty Fear Goodness Himself People Punishment
Scopes isn’t on trial; civilization is on trial.
CLARENCE DARROW

Civilization Scope Trial
The audience that storms the box-office of the theater to gain entrance to a sensational show is small and sleepy compared with the throng that crashes the courthouse door when something concerning real life and death is to be laid bare to the public.
CLARENCE DARROW

Audience Compare Death Life Public Reality Small Theatre
True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.
CLARENCE DARROW

Hate Injustice Land Patriot True
Anyone can spot a lie, unless he is in need of that lie.
CLARENCE DARROW

Himself Lying Need
The only real lawyers are trial lawyers, and trial lawyers try cases to juries.
CLARENCE DARROW

Case Jury Law Reality
Autobiography is never entirely true. No one can get the right perspective on himself. Every fact is colored by imagination and dream.
CLARENCE DARROW

Dreams Fact Forever Imagination Perspective Right True
I knew that it is out of the question to have honest, economical government while a few are inordinately rich and the great mass of men are poor. In fact, it is to be doubted if anything really worthwhile can be done until there is a fairer distribution of wealth.
CLARENCE DARROW

Distribution Fact Greatness Honesty Man Money Myself Question
A criminal is someone without the capital to incorporate
CLARENCE DARROW

Capital Cooperation Criminal
The objector and the rebel who raises his voice against what he believes to be the injustice of the present and the wrongs of the past is the one who hunches the world along.
CLARENCE DARROW

Object Past Raise Rebel Voice World
The man who fights for his fellow-man is a better man than the one who fights for himself.
CLARENCE DARROW

Better Fight Himself Man
We are turning our prisons into living tombs, inhabited by doomed men living in everlasting blank despair.
CLARENCE DARROW

Blank Forever Home Live Man Prison
No nation can be really great that is held together by Gatling guns, and no true loyalty can be induced and kept through fear.
CLARENCE DARROW

Fear Loyalty Nation Togetherness
The purpose of life is to live it.
CLARENCE DARROW

Life Live One Liner Purpose
The purpose of life is living. Men and women should get the most they can out of their lives.
CLARENCE DARROW

Life Live Purpose Woman
Someday I hope to write a book where the royalties will pay for the copies I give away.
CLARENCE DARROW

Book Hope Myself Royal Writing
The best that we can do is to be kindly and helpful toward our friends and fellow passengers who are clinging to the same speck of dirt while we are drifting side by side to our common doom.
CLARENCE DARROW

Best Common Friendship Help Kind Passenger
Can any rational person believe that the Bible is anything but a human document?
CLARENCE DARROW

Believe Document Human Personal
The really intelligent are as abnormal as the defective. The great masses of men are rather mediocre, and those above and below are exceptions.
CLARENCE DARROW

Defect Exception Intelligence Reality
The Constitution is a delusion and a snare if the weakest and humblest man in the land cannot be defended in his right to speak and his right to think as much as the strongest in the land.
CLARENCE DARROW

Defend Delusion Land Strong Weakness
The ability and inclination to use physical strength is no indication of bravery or tenacity to life. The greatest cowards are often the greatest bullies. Nothing is cheaper and more common than physical bravery.
CLARENCE DARROW

Ability Bravery Coward Greatness Life Physical Strength
In order to have enough freedom, it is necessary to have too much.
CLARENCE DARROW

Enough Freedom Necessary Order

An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral.

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An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral.

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