Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81) was Britain’s first and only Jewish prime minister, and a best-selling novelist.
Disraeli was born in London to Italian-Jewish parents but baptized as a Christian before his 13th birthday. His father, Isaac D’Israeli, was an English writer and scholar, and Disraeli grew up around people who loved books. He published his first book anonymously at age 22—Vivian Grey became one of the most popular novels of its time. He wrote numerous other books, even during his career as a great statesman and orator.
Disraeli belonged to the Conservative Party and influenced its policies of popular democracy and imperialism. He was one of the “big Englanders” who worked to expand the British Empire. He became prime minister after 50 years in politics. Nationally, he concentrated on social reform, public health, labor exploitation, and the recognition of trades unions. Overseas, his acquisition of shares in the Suez Canal for Britain was a major success. He died soon after his 1881 general election defeat.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Benjamin Disraeli
Nothing in life is more remarkable than the unnecessary anxiety which we endure, and generally create ourselves.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: The Future, Fear, Anxiety, Tomorrow, Greatness
Change is inevitable in a progressive society. Change is constant.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Change
Success is a product of unremitting attention to purpose.
—Benjamin Disraeli
It is the lot of man to suffer.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Suffering
Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Thought, Heroes, Thinking, Vision
As a general rule, nobody has money who ought to have it.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Money
A university should be a place of light, of liberty and of learning.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much, are the three pillars of learning.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Dying, Learning, Wisdom
Change is inevitable…Change is constant.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Nobody should ever look anxious except those who have no anxiety.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Worry
We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Destiny, One liners
Worry is a god, invisible but omnipotent. It steals the bloom from the cheek and lightness from the pulse; it takes away the appetite, and turns the hair gray.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Worry
When men are pure, laws are useless; when men are corrupt, laws are broken.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Lawyers, Law
Marriage is the greatest earthly happiness when founded on complete sympathy.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Marriage
She is an excellent creature, but she can never remember which came first, the Greeks or the Romans.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Memory
There is no wisdom like frankness.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Candor, Truth
Next to the assumption of power is the responsibility of relinquishing it.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Power
There is no education like adversity.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Education, Challenges, Difficulties, Adversity
How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Critics, Criticism, Art
Upon the education of the people of this country the fate of this country depends.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Education
Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: One liners, Bravery, Courage
Fear makes us feel our humanity.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Fear, Anxiety
Little things affect little minds.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Mediocrity, Attitude
The health of the people is really the foundation upon which all their happiness and all their powers as a state depend.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Health
Man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creatures of man. We are free agents, and man is more powerful than matter.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Mankind, Freedom, Life, Self-reliance, Circumstance, Man
But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Time Management, Time, The Present
Apologies only account for that which they do not alter.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Life is too short to be little. Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Life
A dark horse, which had never been thought of, rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Achievements
A new acquaintance is like a new book. I prefer it, even if bad, to a classic.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Friendship
Increased means and increased leisure are the two civilizers of man.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Civilization, Leisure
Next to knowing when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forego an advantage.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Opportunity, Opportunities
The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it.
—Benjamin Disraeli
The difference of race is one of the reasons why I fear war may always exist; because race implies difference, difference implies superiority, and superiority leads to predominance.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Silence is the mother of truth.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action. We cannot learn men from books.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Experience
Having the courage to live within one’s means is respectability.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Respect
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Happiness, Inaction, Humankind, Getting Going, Action, Procrastination, Act
Apologies only account for that which they do not alter.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Something will turn up.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Faith, Belief
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