Harriet Martineau Quotes

• It is characteristic of genius to be hopeful and aspiring.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Genius

• Who is apt, on occasion, to assign a multitude of reasons when one will do? This is a sure sign of weakness in argument.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Argument, Weakness, Sure

• Happiness consists in the full employment of our faculties in some pursuit.

  Harriet Martineau

• You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today; for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Better, Tomorrow, Sure

• There have been few things in my life which have had a more genial effect on my mind than the possession of a piece of land.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Life

  Tags in Few, Mind

• The progression of emancipation of any class usually, if not always, takes place through the efforts of individuals of that class.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Usually

• Religion is a temper, not a pursuit.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Religion

  Tags in Temper, Pursuit

• Men who pass most comfortably through this world are those who possess good digestions and hard hearts.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in World, Heart, Men

• It is my deliberate opinion that the one essential requisite of human welfare in all ways is scientific knowledge of human nature.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Knowledge, Nature

  Tags in Human

• If there is any country on earth where the course of true love may be expected to run smooth, it is America.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in America, Country, Love

  Tags in True

• If a test of civilization be sought, none can be so sure as the condition of that half of society over which the other half has power.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Power, Society

  Tags in Condition, Civilization

• I am sure that no traveler seeing things through author spectacles can see them as they are.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Seeing, Sure

• Fidelity to conscience is inconsistent with retiring modesty. If it be so, let the modesty succumb. It can be only a false modesty which can be thus endangered.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in False, Conscience

• A soul preoccupied with great ideas best performs small duties.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Soul

  Tags in Great

• A soul occupied with great ideas performs small duties.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Soul

  Tags in Great, Ideas

• For my own part, I had rather suffer any inconvenience from having to work occasionally in chambers and kitchen… than witness the subservience in which the menial class is held in Europe.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Work

  Tags in Own, Suffer

• What office is there which involves more responsibility, which requires more qualifications, and which ought, therefore, to be more honorable, than that of teaching?

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Ought, Responsibility

• But is it not the fact that religion emanates from the nature, from the moral state of the individual? Is it not therefore true that unless the nature be completely exercised, the moral state harmonized, the religion cannot be healthy?

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Nature, Religion

  Tags in True

• Laws and customs may be creative of vice; and should be therefore perpetually under process of observation and correction: but laws and customs cannot be creative of virtue: they may encourage and help to preserve it; but they cannot originate it.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Process, Encourage

• The sum and substance of female education in America, as in England, is training women to consider marriage as the sole object in life, and to pretend that they do not think so.

  Harriet Martineau

  Topics in America, Education, Life

  Tags in Marriage

Harriet Martineau (23)

Birth:	12th June, 1802
Death:	27th June, 1876
Nationality:	British
Profession:	Writer

About

Harriet Martineau was born in Norwich, England. She was a British social theorist and Whig writer. She wrote many books and a multitude of essays from a sociological, holistic, religious, domestic, and perhaps most controversially, feminine perspective; she also translated various works from Auguste Comte. She wrote several books include: Society in America, Illustrations of political economy(novel), The hour and the man, The Crofton boys, Household education, Deerbrook(novel), The settlers at home, and The billow and the rock.

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Births

• 1839 - William De Morgan
• 1717 - Ronald Jeans
• 1977 - Oksana Baiul
• 1904 - Nnamdi Azikiwe
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Deaths

• 1961 - Sam Rayburn
• 1695 - Pierre Nicole
• 1797 - Frederick William II
• 1985 - Stuart Chase
• 1975 - Wynn Bullock