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

E. M. Forster

She had been so wicked that in all her life she had done only one good deed-given an onion to a beggar. So she went to hell. As she lay in torment she saw the onion, lowered down from heaven by an angel. She caught hold of it. He began to pull her up.
E. M. FORSTER

Been Beggar Dep Done Given Good Hell Lofe Onion Went Wick
Don’t begin with proportion. Only prigs do that. Let proportion come in as a last resource, when the better things have failed.
E. M. FORSTER

Better Come Fail Last Proportion Resource Thing
I won’t be protected. I will choose for myself what is ladylike and right. To shield me is an insult.
E. M. FORSTER

Choose Insult Lady Myself Protect Right Shield
A poem is true if it hangs together. Information points to something else. A poem points to nothing but itself.
E. M. FORSTER

Else Hang Information Itself Nothing Poem Point Something Together True
School was the unhappiest time of my life and the worst trick it ever played on me was to pretend that it was the world in miniature. For it hindered me from discovering how lovely and delightful and kind the world can be, and how much of it is intelligible.
E. M. FORSTER

Life Miniature Play Pretend School Time Trick Unhappiest World Worst
The historian records, but the novelist creates.
E. M. FORSTER

Crate Historian Novelist Record
You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you.
E. M. FORSTER

Ignore Middle never Out Pull Transmute
Do not be proud of your inconsistency. It is a pity, it is a pity that we should be equipped like this. It is a pity that Man cannot be at the same time impressive and truthful.
E. M. FORSTER

Equipped Impressive Inconsistency Pity Proud Same
The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot.
E. M. FORSTER

Died Grief Kind Plot Queen Story
There are periods in the most thrilling day during which nothing happens, and though we continue to exclaim, “I do enjoy myself”, or , “I am horrified,” we are insincere.
E. M. FORSTER

Happen Horrified Human Insincere Myself Nothing Period Slumber Thrill
Faith, to my mind, is a stiffening process, a sort of mental starch, which ought to be applied as sparingly as possible. I dislike the stuff. I do not believe in it, for its own sake, at all… My lawgivers are Erasmus and Montaigne, not Moses and St Paul.
E. M. FORSTER

Apply Faith Mental Mind Ought Possible Process Sort Starch Stiffening Straight
But the body is deeper than the soul and its secrets inscrutable.
E. M. FORSTER

Body Deeper Inscrutable Secret Soul
If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country.
E. M. FORSTER

Betraying Between Chosen Country Friend Gut Hope
One has two duties – to be worried and not to be worried.
E. M. FORSTER

City One Two Worried Worry
How can I know what I think till I see what I say?
E. M. FORSTER

Know Say See Think What
The main facts in human life are five: birth, food, sleep, love and death.
E. M. FORSTER

Death Fact Fivem Birth Food Human Life Main Sleep

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

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

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