Clarence Darrow was an American lawyer, civil libertarian, and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union. He is best known for his work as a defense attorney in the famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial of 1925, and for defending teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their murder trial the following year. He was a strong advocate of civil liberties and a critic of organized religion and capital punishment. His famous quotes reflect his progressive views, and his words remain relevant today. His most famous quotes include “I am an agnostic. I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of,” and “The world is made for the few and not for the many.” Other memorable Darrow quotes include “A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer,” and “The law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest.”
55 Best Clarence Darrow Quotes
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“We are all in the same boat, in a stormy sea and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I am an agnostic; I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I have suffered from being misunderstood, but I would have suffered a hell of a lot more if I had been understood.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I had rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest. That would seriously interfere with business.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“Somewhere in the world there is defeat for everyone. Some are destroyed by defeat, and some made small and mean by victory. Greatness lives in one who triumphs equally over defeat and victory.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I don’t believe in trial by newspaper.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The origin of nearly all evil in the world lies in the teaching of the superiority of one class of people to another.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“If you lose the power to laugh, you lose the power to think.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“Justice is what the strong impose upon the weak.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The trouble with law is lawyers.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only real lawyers are trial lawyers, and trial lawyers try cases to juries.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I don’t like to see a man beaten, but I love to see the man do the beating.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“Chase after the truth like all hell and you’ll free yourself, even though you never touch its coattails.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The world is made up for the most part of fools and knaves.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The real cause of wickedness is not human nature. It is education, religious and otherwise.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only good lawyer is a dead lawyer.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“What is called a reasonable care depends upon the circumstances of each case.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I’m beginning to believe it.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“Some of you say religion makes people happy. So does laughing gas. So does whiskey.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only real lawyers are the trial lawyers, and a trial lawyer ought to do whatever he can, fair or unfair, to win his case.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great satisfaction.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only thing new in this world is the history you don’t know.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I don’t believe in God because I don’t believe in Mother Goose.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest. That would seriously interfere with business.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“What is good for the individual is good for the race. What is not good for the race is not good for the individual.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents and the second half by our children.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only real lawyers are trial lawyers, and they are not in it for the money, they are in it for the thrill of winning.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I have never seen a lawyer yet who would admit he was making money.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The objector and the rebel who raises his voice against what he believes to be the abuse of power and the wrong of oppression is the one who hunches the world along.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“History repeats itself, and that’s one of the things that’s wrong with history.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The crime of life is not to die but to be forgotten.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“It is not the few who are guilty; it is the many who are innocent.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only real lawyers are trial lawyers, and trial lawyers try cases to juries.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only good thing about the good old days is that they are gone.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The law is not a light for you or any man to see by; the law is not an instrument of any kind. It is a cause and a country and a hobby. It is everything and nothing.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The trouble with law is that there are too many lawyers.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The law is not a light to guide us in our daily lives; it is an instrument of force, a means of oppression.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only real lawyers are the trial lawyers. The rest are just practitioners.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I’m beginning to believe it.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only thing new in this world is the history you don’t know.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“When I was a kid I was told anyone could become president; now I’m beginning to believe it.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“We are all in the same boat, in a stormy sea and we owe each other a great loyalty.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I’m beginning to believe it.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The real sin against life is to abuse and destroy beauty, even one’s own—even more, one’s own, for that has been put in our care and we are responsible for its well-being.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“I never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“If you lose the power to laugh, you lose the power to think.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The law is not a light for you or any man to see by; the law is not an instrument of any kind. It is a cause and a country and a hobby. It is everything and nothing.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only real lawyers are trial lawyers, and they are not in it for the money, they are in it for the thrill of winning.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The only real lawyers are the trial lawyers, and a trial lawyer ought to do whatever he can, fair or unfair, to win his case.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“The origin of nearly all evil in the world lies in the teaching of the superiority of one class of people to another.”
– Clarence Darrow
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“What is good for the individual is good for the race. What is not good for the race is not good for the individual.”
– Clarence Darrow
Conclusion
Clarence Darrow’s quotes offer timeless wisdom on the topics of justice, human rights, and the importance of being kind and understanding. His words remind us that true justice is not found in the law, but in the spirit of humanity. His quotes have the power to inspire us to stand up for what is right and to fight for what we believe in. Darrow’s words will surely continue to resonate with generations to come.
