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
A university should be a place of light, of liberty and of learning.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Happiness, Action, Getting Going, Procrastination, Inaction
Fear makes us feel our humanity.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Anxiety, Fear
We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Destiny, One liners
The greatest secret of success in life is for a person to be ready when their opportunity comes.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Strength, Opportunity, Opportunities
How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Criticism, Critics, Art
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
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.
—Benjamin Disraeli
As a rule, man is a fool.
When it’s hot, he wants it cool;
When its cool, he wants it hot.
Always wanting, what is not.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Success is the child of audacity.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Success, Success & Failure
The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Thought, Thinking, Vision, Heroes
Apologies only account for that which they do not alter.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Little things affect little minds.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Attitude, Mediocrity
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: Freedom, Man, Life, Self-reliance
Frank and explicit; that is the right line to take when you wish to conceal your own mind and to confuse the minds of others.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Honesty, Truth
Apologies only account for that which they do not alter.
—Benjamin Disraeli
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
There is no education like adversity.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Challenges, Education, Adversity, Difficulties
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
Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Knowledge, Attitude, Thought, Thoughts, Heroes
There is no wisdom like frankness.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Truth
The fool wonders, the wise man asks.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Wisdom
Success is a product of unremitting attention to purpose.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Silence is the mother of truth.
—Benjamin Disraeli
When men are pure, laws are useless; when men are corrupt, laws are broken.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Lawyers
Patience is a necessary ingredient of genius.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Genius, Patience
Next to the assumption of power is the responsibility of relinquishing it.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Power
Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action. We cannot learn men from books.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Topics: Experience
Everything comes if a man will only wait.
—Benjamin Disraeli
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