“There are no boring subjects, only disinterested minds.”

“There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person.”

“Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.”

“Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”

“Just as we all like love tales because there is an instinct of sex, we all like astonishing tales because they touch the nerve of the ancient instinct of astonishment. This is proved by the fact that when we are very young children we do not need fairy tales: we only need tales. Mere life is interesting enough. A child of seven is excited by being told that Tommy opened a door and saw a dragon. But a child of three is excited by being told that Tommy opened a door. Boys like romantic tales; but babies like realistic tales -- because they find them romantic. In fact, a baby is about the only person, I should think, to whom a modern realistic novel could be read without boring him.”

“Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out.”

“The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”