Political Quotes

Edmund Burke: We are imitative animals; and we are more naturally led to imitate the exertions of character and passion than to…

On the record
We are imitative animals; and we are more naturally led to imitate the exertions of character and passion than to observe and describe a series of events, and to discover those relations and dependencies in them which will please.
Said by
Edmund Burke

Editor's note · Context

Burke discusses human nature's tendency to imitate character and passion rather than merely recount events.

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