A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.

The men who have changed the universe have never accomplished it by changing officials but always by inspiring the people.

All reformers are bachelors.

It is a folly second to none, To try to improve the world.

The man who is forever disturbed about the condition of humanity either has no problems of his own or has refused to face them.

Every abuse ought to be reformed, unless the reform is more dangerous than the abuse itself.

Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.

If anything ail a man, so that he does not perform his functions, if he have a pain in his bowels even,- for that is the seat of sympathy,-he forthwith sets about reforming the world.

It is one of the ironies of history that reformers so often misjudge the consequences of their reforms.

The religions are obsolete when the reforms do not proceed from them.

Every reform was once a private opinion, and when it shall be a private opinion again, it will solve the problem of the age.

Experience has two things to teach: the first is that we must correct a great deal; the second, that we must not correct too much.

Attempts at reform, when they fail, strengthen despotism, as he that struggles tightens those cords he does not succeed in breaking.

Many-have too rashly charged the troops of error, and remain as trophies unto the enemies of truth.

Nobody expects to find comfort and companion-ability in reformers.

I am a correctionist. If something is wrong in society, it must be fixed. At least one should try to fix it.

The men with the muck-rake are often indispensable to the well-being of society, but only if they know when to stop raking the muck.

Men reform a thing by removing the reality from it, and then do not know what to do with the unreality that is left.