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Walter Lippmann

Walter Lippmann Quotes

Writer

Walter Lippmann was a prominent American writer and political commentator, born on September 23, 1889, and died on December 14, 1974. He was known for his profound insights into political and social issues and was one of the most influential political analysts in the United States during the 20th century.

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Famous Walter Lippmann Quotes

“Unless our ideas are questioned, they become part of the furniture of eternity.”

Ideas Eternity Furniture

Book:The Stakes of Diplomacy

Source: The Stakes of Diplomacy

“Whenever we accept an idea as authority instead of as instrument, an idol is set up. We worship the plough, and not the fruit.”

Ideas Accepting Authority Worship Instruments Fruit Idols

Book:A Preface to Politics

Source: A Preface to Politics

“There is nothing disastrous in the temporary nature of our ideas. They are always that. But there may very easily be a train of evil in the self-deception which regards them as final. I think God will forgive us our skepticism sooner than our Inquisitions.”

Thinking May Ideas Self Evil Regard Forgiving Train Finals Gods Will Deception Temporary Skepticism Self Deception Inquisition

Book:A Preface to Politics

Source: A Preface to Politics

“The host of men who stand between a great thinker and the average man are not automatic transmitters. They work on the ideas; perhaps that is why a genius usually hates his disciples.”

Men Ideas Hate Genius Average Thinker Host Disciple Average Man Great Thinkers

Author:Walter Lippmann

“Men command fewer words than they have ideas to express, and language, as Jean Paul said, is a dictionary of faded metaphors.”

Men Said Ideas Language Metaphor Command Fewer Dictionary Faded

Book:Public Opinion

Source: Public Opinion

“It is not the idea as such which the censor attacks, whether it be heresy or radicalism or obscenity. He attacks the circulation of the idea among the classes which in his judgment are not to be trusted with the idea.”

Ideas Class Atheism Judgment Positive Atheism Trusted Heresy Circulation Obscenity Radicalism

Book:Men of Destiny (Ppr)

Source: Men of Destiny (Ppr)

“Creative ideas come to the intuitive person who can face up to the insecurity of looking beyond the obvious.”

Persons Ideas Faces Creative Obvious Insecurity Intuitive Creative Ideas

Author:Walter Lippmann

“The thinker dies, but his thoughts are beyond the reach of destruction. Men are mortal; but ideas are immortal.”

Thinking Men Ideas Time Dies Destruction Eternity Mortals Immortal Thinker Demise

Book:A Preface to Morals

Source: A Preface to Morals

“When men are brought face to face with their opponents, forced to listen and learn and mend their ideas, they cease to be children and savages and begin to live like civilized men. Then only is freedom a reality, when men may voice their opinions because they must examine their opinions.”

Men May Children Ideas Reality Faces Voice Opinion Atheism Civilization Congress Positive Atheism Cease Opponents Civilized Savages Face To Face

Book:The Essential Lippmann: A Political Philosophy for Liberal Democracy

Source: The Essential Lippmann: A Political Philosophy for Liberal Democracy

“True opinions can prevail only if the facts to which they refer are known; if they are not known, false ideas are just as effective as true ones, if not a little more effective.”

Ifs Littles Ideas Facts Justice Known Opinion True Ones

Book:Liberty and the News

Source: Liberty and the News

“Men are mortal, but ideas are immortal.”

Men Ideas Mortals Immortal Thinker

Book:A Preface to Morals

Source: A Preface to Morals

“It is so much easier to talk of poverty than to think of the poor, to argue the rights of capital than to see its results. Pretty soon we come to think of the theories and abstract ideas as things in themselves.”

Thinking Ideas Poor Results Poverty Rights Theory Easier Arguing Abstract

Author:Walter Lippmann

About the Author

Born: September 23, 1889
Died: December 14, 1974
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 259

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Books & Sources

The Essential Lippmann: A Political Philosophy for Liberal DemocracyRelated source material

A Preface to PoliticsRelated source material

Public OpinionRelated source material

A Preface to MoralsRelated source material

Drift and Mastery: An Attempt to Diagnose the Current UnrestRelated source material

Essays in the Public PhilosophyRelated source material

Liberty and the NewsRelated source material

Men of Destiny (Ppr)Related source material

The Stakes of DiplomacyRelated source material

The good societyRelated source material

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