The Man Who Knew Too Much

by G.K. Chesterton

"I know too much," he said. "That's what's the matter with me. That's what's the matter with all of us, and the whole show; we know too much. Too much about one another; too much about ourselves. That's why I'm really interested, just now, about one thing that I don't know."

"It is certainly a new idea," repeated Sir Walter, with something like respect. He had all the love of the luxurious classes for new ideas. But he also had a critical faculty, and was inclined to think, after due reflection, that it was a true idea as well.

"I know very little of these local things, you tell me, but I reckon an angry woman is much the same in all countries."

he made a bad mistake about what a man like Michael would do when he heard a woman scream. All Michael's very vanity and vainglory made him rush out at once; he would have walked into Dublin Castle for a lady's glove.

he proceeded to talk learnedly and luxuriantly on all the wines of the world; on which subject, also, some moralists would consider that he knew too much.

Nobody knew better than Fisher how rare such noblemen are in fact, and how numerous in fiction.

"Well, I am a trifle tired," said Fisher, "of the Simple Life and the Strenuous Life as lived by our little set. We're all really dependent in nearly everything, and we all make a fuss about being independent in something.

They had all that forgetfulness of history that goes everywhere with the extension of education.

Modern intelligence won't accept anything on authority. But it will accept anything without authority.

it's my reading of human nature that a man will cheat in his trade, but not in his hobby.

Horne Fisher had in him something of the aristocrat, which is very near to the anarchist.

the financiers have introduced Chinese labor into this country with the deliberate intention of reducing workmen and peasants to starvation.