Auberon Herbert Quotes

Powerful Auberon Herbert for Daily Growth

About Auberon Herbert

Auberon Herbert (1880-1964) was an English author, philosopher, and inventor whose diverse interests ranged from metaphysics to practical engineering. Born into an aristocratic family on August 23, 1880, he spent his early years at Calverton Castle in Northamptonshire, England, surrounded by a rich literary heritage as the grandson of William Makepeace Thackeray and great-nephew of Anthony Trollope. Herbert was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied engineering. After graduation, he began to develop practical inventions and patented several devices, including an electric motor for water pumps and a system for the automatic counting of ballots. However, it was his literary pursuits that truly defined him as an author. His first major work, "The End of the House of Fun" (1926), is a philosophical novel that explores the meaning of life through the eyes of a young aristocrat who inherits a crumbling manor house. This book, along with his subsequent works, showcases Herbert's unique blend of spirituality, social critique, and humor. One of his most influential books, "The Exeter Book" (1936), is a translation and analysis of one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, offering insights into Old English literature and culture. Another significant work is "The Secret Glory" (1940), a spiritual autobiography that delves deep into his philosophical beliefs and personal development. Throughout his life, Herbert remained deeply interested in philosophy, spirituality, and the mysteries of existence. His works continue to captivate readers with their profound insights and thought-provoking themes, cementing his legacy as a distinctive voice in English literature. Auberon Herbert passed away on January 31, 1964, leaving behind a rich tapestry of thoughts that continues to inspire readers today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams."

This quote suggests that while a house is primarily defined by its physical structure (walls, beams), a home transcends those material aspects. A home is something deeper, something created from the intangible elements of love and dreams. The love between family members and the dreams they share for their future together are what truly make a dwelling place into a home - a place filled with warmth, belonging, and a strong sense of identity.

"The greatest gift of all is to give yourself."

This quote by Auberon Herbert emphasizes the profound value in self-giving, suggesting that the most significant gift one can offer is their own personhood. It underscores the idea that true fulfillment comes from investing in oneself and extending that investment outwardly to others, thus enriching both personal growth and interpersonal relationships.

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal."

This quote by Auberon Herbert emphasizes the vulnerability inherent in love. He suggests that to truly love something, be it a person or an animal, exposes us to potential heartache because love makes us emotionally invested and open to harm. The risk of being hurt is inevitable when we choose to love deeply, but the reward can be great if we are willing to take that chance. Ultimately, if one chooses to guard their heart completely, they may never experience the fullness of love.

"We are like trees of which the root is coiled tightly in the earth and which straightens up into the sky, feeling its foliage delighted by the sun, but still tied to the old stump by an unseen cord; so we struggle and strive up towards the light, yet draw nourishment and sustenance from the soil of tradition."

This quote suggests that, much like trees reaching for the sunlight while remaining connected to their roots in the earth, humans are constantly striving towards personal growth and enlightenment, yet we are tethered by our cultural and historical backgrounds (the "old stump"). Despite our natural tendency to reach for higher ideals, we draw strength and nourishment from our traditions, which ground us and provide a sense of identity.

"Life is not a spectacle or a feast; it is a journey, and we are the wayfarers."

The quote "Life is not a spectacle or a feast; it is a journey, and we are the wayfarers," by Auberon Herbert, suggests that life should not be viewed as something to merely observe or indulge in, but rather as a personal experience to be traveled through. Just like a traveler embarking on a long journey, we must navigate the twists and turns of life, facing challenges, making choices, and growing along the way. It's about embracing the process and recognizing that our own actions and experiences shape our lives.

Do you not see, first, that - as a mental abstract - physical force is directly opposed to morality; and secondly, that it practically drives out of existence the moral forces?

- Auberon Herbert

Mental, Opposed, Practically, Directly

How, then, can the rights of three men exceed the rights of two men? In what possible way can the rights of three men absorb the rights of two men, and make them as if they had never existed.

- Auberon Herbert

Them, Had, Then, Exceed

There never yet has been a great system sustained by force under which all the best faculties of men have not slowly withered.

- Auberon Herbert

Best, Been, Which, Withered

If government half a century ago had provided us with all our dinners and breakfasts, it would be the practice of our orators today to assume the impossibility of our providing for ourselves.

- Auberon Herbert

Practice, Impossibility, Assume

Deny human rights, and however little you may wish to do so, you will find yourself abjectly kneeling at the feet of that old-world god, Force.

- Auberon Herbert

Feet, However, Deny, Human Rights

And what sort of philosophical doctrine is thi - that numbers confer unlimited rights, that they take from some persons all rights over themselves, and vest these rights in others.

- Auberon Herbert

Some, Over, Unlimited, Doctrine

How can an act done under compulsion have any moral element in it, seeing that what is moral is the free act of an intelligent being?

- Auberon Herbert

How, Act, Compulsion, Element

The course that will restore to the workmen a father's duties and responsibilities, between which and themselves the state has now stepped, is for them to reject all forced contributions from others, and to do their own work through their own voluntary combinations.

- Auberon Herbert

Father, Through, Forced, Voluntary

If we cannot by reason, by influence, by example, by strenuous effort, and by personal sacrifice, mend the bad places of civilization, we certainly cannot do it by force.

- Auberon Herbert

Reason, Bad, Certainly, Mend

I venture to prophesy that there lies before us a bitter and an evil time.

- Auberon Herbert

Evil, Before, Lies, Prophesy

We hold that what one man cannot morally do, a million men cannot morally do, and government, representing many millions of men, cannot do.

- Auberon Herbert

Men, Government, Million, Representing

The ruling idea of the politician - stated rather bluntly - is that those who are opposed to him exist for the purpose of being made to serve his ends, if he can get power enough in his hands to force these ends upon them.

- Auberon Herbert

Purpose, Hands, Rather, Ruling

Every tax or rate, forcibly taken from an unwilling person, is immoral and oppressive.

- Auberon Herbert

Immoral, Oppressive, Rate, Unwilling

If you tie a man's hands there is nothing moral about his not committing murder.

- Auberon Herbert

Hands, Tie, His, Committing

It is the small owner who offers the only really profitable and reliable material for taxation. He is made for taxation.

- Auberon Herbert

Small, Owner, Offers, Profitable

The career of a politician mainly consists in making one part of the nation do what it does not want to do, in order to please and satisfy the other part of the nation.

- Auberon Herbert

Career, Other, Making, Please

You will not make a man wiser by taking freedom of action from him. A man can only learn when he is free to act.

- Auberon Herbert

Learn, Him, Will, Wiser

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